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I found washing the hair of a bedbound patient can be challenging. We used the plastic blow up kind of basin that was ok but I didn't think it would last long or start leaking so I checked Amazon and found a nice solid one called Portable Shampoo Bowl for about $40 made by Lizipai which works great. We place it empty under head, pour water over head with a cup from a separate bucket of warm water, shampoo and rinse, give patient a towel and then remove taking basin to a sink to dump. How does everyone else manage this challenge?

What a great idea Alva? I willbet the RNs graduating now would have no idea how to wash a patients hair. Daighter says the RNs now can't even make a bed. She learned all that as an LPN. RNs are now groomed for Administrative duties. With aides and LPNs they don't need to do the dirty work.
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Wow AlvaDeer - that's very detailed as well as interesting and clever. I don't like the dry or no water stuff as you're right, ladies love having the water run through and scalp scratched.
Thanks for the welcoming even though I've been hanging around for a while - just not writing much.
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Reply to ButterflyPoet
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I used the waterless shampoo and conditioner caps for my late husband who was bedridden the last 22 months of his life and they worked great.
And I used them on myself when I had my hip replaced and couldn't get in the shower for a while and couldn't bend to wash my hair in the sink.
You just warm them up a few seconds in the microwave and put them on your loved ones head and rub it around, take off and either blow dry or air dry their hair.
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AlvaDeer Mar 18, 2025
Grandma,
You found one that doesn't leave residue and make things worse?
Can you give them a plug by posting their name? I would love to know one.
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Drats! I did a big, long answer, didn't wait long enough for it to post. Now have to start over! That will teach me! Kidding. Am here for 5 years and nothing has yet taught me to say less.

Thanks first of all for joining.
Thanks secondly for a post about a product that helps.
And thirdly thanks for the question.
This old RN used to do it THIS way.

Would get a new plastic bedpan. In the narrow front portion put in an ABD pad or folded cloth to cushion the neck.
Place patient as flat as she can tolerate.
Be certain there's waterproof chux or pads underneath to protect bed.
After combing gently to remove tangles (from bottom up and with a little condition to loosen tangles if needed, place bedpan under head with large open area to the back, and abd cushioned narrow and recessed portion under the neck.
Pour over a cup of warm water and add a small amount of shampoo. Shampoo the hair, and soak up MOST water and suds with towel.
Now pour over clean warm water until soap is out of hair.
Wrap hair in towel, remove equipment. Towel dry.

Dry shampoos don't work, only add to woe.
If hair thin and short often only need application small amount of soap on clean clothe, followed by clean clothes without soap. Then towel dry.

Whatever you attempt, having clean hair seems to make the lady's days. It's one of the kindest things you can do. I did nursing two decades ago and I must say that "primary" care nursing where we did it ALL sans aid--we had none or one roving the floor-- was a gift to patients and to nurses.
It is all to divided up, machine driven, more sophisticated albeit safer now, and I was in on the beginnings of that and the computers; seems we didn't have time once that happened to look a human in the eyes and know we were dealing with a human being. Many changes during my years in nursing.


Welcome to the Forum!
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