Bathing Support

Bathing aids are all the things that can support a person with the bathing process. Some examples include:

• Handheld showers
• Shower chairs, seats, and stools
• Grab bars
• Transfer benches (to help a person get into shower)
• Lifts (to help lift a person into a tub or shower)
• Sponges, loofahs or lotion appliers with long handles
• Bedside hair rinsing basins
• Foot cleaning brushes
• Skin cleansing wipes

The bathing environment, including proper accessibility, can make a difference in supporting your loved one. Some examples:

• Assess any sounds or other distractions that might affect your loved one’s enjoyment of the bathing process.
• Check to make sure the lighting is what your loved one prefers.
• Ensure the doorway and shower can accommodate a wheelchair or walker, if needed.
• Low or no step entrances, walk-in tubs, make for easier entry.
• Ask your loved one about their preferred time of day for showering or bathing.

For your loved one:

• Use bathmats in the tub to avoid slipping.
• Have grab bars for more stability.
• Use chairs or seats to reduce risk of falling and to help with balance.
• Check water temperature to ensure it’s not too hot or cold. And remember – what is hot or cold to you may be different than your loved one.
• Clear the area to reduce risks of stumbling or falling. This includes rugs that may be a part of your loved one’s décor. Non-skid strips can be placed under a favorite rug.
• Place supplies and towels within reach.

• Use bathing aids and environmental adaptations to protect you as well as support your loved one.
• Protect your back when helping someone in and out of the tub or shower. Consider gait belts, lifts, transfer benches – whatever will help you try to avoid a back injury.
• Use a step stool or seat next to the tub to help you better position yourself to reach your loved one.
• If you are kneeling, use kneeling pads.
• Use a hand-held shower sprayer.

NOTE: Durable Medical Equipment (DME), environmental adaptions, or other supplies may be a covered benefit and assist with the costs of bathing aids. Check with your loved one’s provider or insurance carrier for more information.

Even though bathing is something we all do, we all like to do it differently. By understanding what is important to your loved one, you can tailor your support to ensure a good experience.

If your loved one doesn’t want to take a bath, for example, try to figure out why. There are several different “categories” of possible reasons you can think through, including:

• Health/Medical – Is something going on with a person’s health or medical condition, or medications, that is affecting how they are acting and feeling?
• Communication – Is the person having difficulty communicating or processing what is going on?
• The Environment – Is there something in the bathroom that is triggering their actions?
• The Task – Is something you are doing causing them to act in a certain way?
• Unmet needs – Does your loved one have needs — cognitive, emotional or physical — that are not being met?
• Life Story – Does your loved one’s personality or past experiences explain their actions?