Okay, I really need some help from the rest of you. We were always able to get Dad to bathe at least 2 days a week. Now that he's gone, I'm a caregiver for a couple in their 90's. They haven't cleaned house for five years. My allergies went haywire and I had to vacuum the place before I could sit down with them to learn their other needs...

The husband says that he hasn't been able to get his wife in the bathtub for 5 years and she really does need to be bathed and her hair washed. What he described is a catastrophic reaction. Seeing as I have never dealt with bathing someone to goes berserk at bath time, could you give me some pointers as to how to work with her? It may be a couple of weeks before she trusts me enough to do anything.

In the meantime, I am hoping to glean as many ideas as possible.

I'm so sorry Debra that I don't have any help for you, I just know that many people at my mom's home react the same way at shower time. People that are sweet and kind all of the time go berserk at shower time. One sweet lady says they are trying to kill her and is just terrified, the other dear man who we adored, he would hit and yell. Yikes, I hope someone on here has some great suggestions for you, I feel for you.

Here's hoping the best for you,

~Kelly~

I remember some people talking about this on the big forum a year ago at least, at least one of whom had AD themselves. It seemed from those discussions like a common thread between patients was over stimulus. Between the noise, the sensations, the confusion, the smells, and the unfamiliar routine it was all too much. Some people reported success by trying to reduce stimulus, but others were resigned to a sponge bath.

Unfortunately I have no firsthand experience with this because Laurette heads straight for her shower the moment she wakes up. I have to sleep lightly in the mornings!

My mom loved her showers..........until the day she had a catastrophic reaction -- she literally froze, was hunched over and wouldn't stand up straight, I couldn't get her head up to look at me, she wouldn't move her legs, etc. It took both me and the bath aide to get her out of the tub and we almost dropped her. No more showers after that, only bed baths.

Since you gave no detail about her reaction its hard to have any ideas. Can you gradually introduce her to bathing by soaking her hands in a small basin, then her feet, maybe in her room and then gradually work up to getting her into the bathroom and doing the same soaking until she's comfortable. Then introduce the bathtub with a shower chair and a little bit of water in the tub for her to splash her feet in, again gradually building up until you can give her a complete "bed bath" in the tub, including washing her hair, then maybe a complete shower? Sorry I can't be more help.....

According to her husband, she's fine until you touch her with the water or the wet wash cloth. Then she screams and frantically tries to get out of the tub. I will find out more once I get to know them a little better.

What happens if you offer her the washcloth? Is she able to communicate at all? Can you ask her what her reaction is about? How does she respond to other water situations like soaking her feet or washing her hands?

Could she be taken out for a day of pampering--haircut, etc? I have one resident who does not like to shower and wash her hair, but will happily let the haircutter wash it prior to a cut and set.

At my work we use a variety of techniques including things like stimulus reduction, modifying the environment to make the resident feel more comfortable (extra non-slip mats, softer towels, heaters, etc), and ultimately a PRN medication before the shower time if necessary.

Thank you Annaberry. How would I reduce the stimulus for her? I really want to see her as happy and healthy as possible.

So far, my requests for ideas from caregivers from work usually ends with them stating that 'THEY don't work with clients like THAT.' So, there's not much help at the moment. I will be working in her home on Monday afternoon. I will do my best to earn her trust and learn as much as I can about her in order to come up with some sort of plan that will work.

I sent you a PM response, MundeeB. I hope you got it.

Yes, Anna, I got it. We are still working on getting her into the bathroom with me.

You may just have to forget the tub and stick to waterless cleaners. You may just have to forget the bathroom and let her sit on the bed or a chair in her bedroom. I use a specific line of "No Rinse" products when I cannot get Mom in the tub. They are really are good. I've used them on myself when I could not get Mom to cooperate long enough for me to get a shower. There are two formulas. One you mix a few capfuls in a quart of warm water; one you just use straight from the bottle. The dermatologist swears to me that it's okay. I have found that these products DO work and also help keep the skin moisturized. One thing I have learned is to go very slowly and let Mom do it herself. Leaving her in control is very helpful. If she doesn't get every spot every day, it's not the end of the world. Asking permission helps - "Mom, shall I wash your back where you cannot reach?"

You might even have to resort to cleaning and arm then chatting for a minute, then clean the other arm and then chatting for a minute. Anything to distract from what is going on.

Because of Laurette's ear infection we have begun using waterless shampoos on her hair. It is certainly better than nothing, but it's not nearly as clean as shampoo and water. It is much quieter though, and can be done anywhere separately from cleaning the body.