One of the struggles you have as a family caregiver is with your dad’s daily shower. He doesn’t cooperate, so it takes twice the time that it should. You’re starting to wonder how often he really needs to shower. If you skip a few days will it hurt him?

Daily Showers Can Damage the Skin

Providing your dad cleans properly after using the toilet, a daily shower isn’t necessary. It can lead to his skin and scalp being drier as daily showers wash away surface skin oils.

For older adults, showering every two or three days is fine. If your dad is excessively sweaty or dirty after working in his gardens, he should shower to clean off. In general, it’s okay to have him take a shower twice a week.

Tips for Helping Your Dad Shower and Dress

When it’s time for your dad to shower, how do you help him? Be considerate of his feelings and be patient. He’s not going to like having to rely on someone else to help him with something he used to do independently.

Prepare the Bathroom

A few things can make a shower less stressful. Start by making sure the room is warm. Gather several towels, the bigger the better. While you help him wash one area of the body, he can cover up the rest of his body. Set the shower seat in place and make sure it’s secure and not sliding around.

Choose the Right Products

Aging skin is often sensitive and drier due to the diminishing stores of collagen. Make sure you choose shampoos, soaps, and shaving creams that are unscented and rely on natural ingredients over chemicals. Avoid sulfates and parabens.

Purchase a shower brush to help put some distance between your hand and his skin. That can make him a little more comfortable. A hand-held shower wand makes it easy to direct the water to the specific area you’re washing.

Keep Soap Out of His Eyes

When you’re washing your dad’s hair, make sure you keep the soap out of his eyes. Tipping his head back will help. A visor that protects the eyes is also useful. If he gets soap in his eyes, it’s going to make it harder to wash his hair in the future, so do everything possible to prevent it from happening.

Dry Him Off Completely

Damp areas in folds or creases can lead to bacteria growth. Make sure your dad’s skin is completely dry before he gets dressed. If he does have dry skin, apply a moisturizer while his skin is still damp. Try to let his skin air dry. If the bathroom is warm enough, he won’t mind sitting in a loose robe for a while.

Reward Him

If a shower goes well, reward your dad. If he knows he’ll get to do something fun after showering, he’s less likely to be difficult in the future.

Make sure you also listen to his concerns. If he’s distressed by needing your help in the shower, arrange for personal care at home aides to help him shower instead. He may be more comfortable having a personal care at home aide helping him shower and dress each week.

If you or an aging loved one are considering personal care at home in Bonita, CA please contact the caring staff at A Passion for Care today. Call (858) 798-5005

A Passion for Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Bernardo, Encinitas, Oceanside, Rancho Santa Fe, Point Loma, and surrounding areas.

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Pat Melzer

Owner at A Passion for Care

Like many people in the senior care business, founder Pat Melzer was motivated by personal experience to start an in-home senior service business in 2010. After watching chronic conditions, dementia, and surgeries take over the life of her once very intelligent and lively mother-in-law, Pat saw the enormity of the need for better in-home care. Drawing on her 23 years of experience in the computer industry as a software product manager, engineering manager and computer programmer, she decided to develop best practices to build an organization that provides truly excellent, personalized care. Throughout the company’s history, Pat has been personally and professionally committed to ensuring your loved one receives the quality care they deserve. With often heroic efforts by the staff and dedicated caregivers, the vision has become a reality to be very proud of.

Making the transition to a completely new industry brought the opportunity to learn and grow, which continues still today. Pat studied Gerontology in San Diego State University’s certificate program and became licensed as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA), a Home Health Aide (HHA), and completed the California Certification Program for Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCCFE) as a Certified Administrator. She presented workshops at Aging in America Conference four years in a row and served as Chair of the San Diego Regional Home Care Council 2019-2020 and was the education board member for several years. More recently, Pat became a Certified Senior Advisor and was a San Diego Business Journal “50 over 50 2022 Women of Influence Honoree”.

Pat and her husband Roland have lived outside San Diego in the San Pasqual Valley for over three decades. She has two children who are grown professionals and three grandchildren. Pat enjoys traveling to, and visits from, family and friends throughout the year. While at home in San Pasqual Valley, she and Roland enjoy peaceful views and exploring the surrounding valleys.

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