Talking to a Senior Parent About Hygiene and Personal Care

By Jamie Shapiro | March 7, 2023 | Comments Off on Talking to a Senior Parent About Hygiene and Personal Care
Hygiene: Personal Care at Home Highland Park IL

Hygiene: Personal Care at Home Highland Park IL

When you are caregiving for a senior parent or are helping a senior parent that wants to stay in their home as they get older, there are a lot of tough, awkward, and potentially embarrassing conversations that you need to have.

One of the most challenging can be talking about hygiene issue. It’s very common for seniors to struggle with hygiene as they get older. Showering can be very dangerous for seniors. And seniors can struggle to do things like hold a toothbrush or a hairbrush or a razor. Putting on their shoes and getting dressed can also be difficult for seniors that have arthritis or trouble gripping things.

Personal Care at Home

When seniors become incontinent or have trouble with basic hygiene it’s time to talk about personal care at home. With personal care at home seniors will have the kind of discreet help they need to maintain good hygiene. But talking about getting personal care at home can be tricky and embarrassing for both of you. Here are a few ways you can make the conversation easier.

Express Your Concerns Tactfully

It’s never a good idea to start out a conversation about hygiene telling your senior parent that they smell or that their hair or clothes are obviously dirty. You wouldn’t want to be told those things in a blunt and accusatory way, so don’t take that tone with your senior parent. Instead, say that you have noticed that they don’t look as put together lately and ask if they are having trouble with things like getting dressed. Or ask them if they are not bathing because they have safety concerns.

Understand They Might Not Want To Talk About It

While you might understand that even though it’s a difficult topic, it must be talked about and addressed. You should also understand that your parent probably doesn’t want to discuss their personal hygiene with you. Offer to set them up to talk with a personal care at home agency directly if they would prefer to do that so they don’t have to discuss things like showering or toileting with you if that makes them too uncomfortable.

Explain What Personal Care At Home Is

Get some information from a local care agency about personal care at home so that you can explain exactly what it is to your senior parent. They may be much more willing to talk about it or consider getting it once they understand that personal care at home will help them maintain their dignity and their hygiene so that they can be more confident and self-assured, especially if they are in public quite a bit.

Listen To Their Input

Really listen to their concerns and try to find solutions that will address them. For example if your senior parent isn’t comfortable with someone of the opposite sex being their care provider let them know they can choose the provider they feel the most comfortable with. Make sure that they know they won’t have to let anyone they’re not comfortable with help them.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home in Highland Park, IL, contact the caring staff at Companion Services of America today at (847) 943-3786. Our home care service area includes Northbrook, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glenview, Buffalo Grove, Evanston, Des Plaines, Skokie, Lake Forest, Wilmette and the surrounding areas.

Jamie Shapiro
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