I want Mom (96 with dementia) to keep the hair style she's worn most of her life and that involves getting a permanent wave a couple times a year. (When she looks in the mirror and her hair doesn't look right, it's distressing for her.)
Trouble is, the last time we went to the hairdresser, the place got flooded because we couldn't get her head close enough to the sink. No way the stylist is going to attempt that again.
What to do? Has anyone solved this problem? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Young wig catalog. Seriously. A wig that looks right can be a huge convenience and self-image saver if it's fitted correctly.
I don't think it would be a crime to ask mom if she has thought about updating her style to make it easier for her to do by herself. The shampoo can happen during her normal bath/shower time and she never needs to get over a sink again.
My mom spent a great portion of the 1950s-2000s having perms, sleeping on brush rollers with the pink stick, wrapping her bouffant in toilet paper and sleeping in a silk cap on a silk pillow case to preserve the coif. It was part of her identity. She completely missed the easy care blow & go styles by Vidal Sassoon in the 1970s. I remember the jars of Dippity Do (green) and how upset she was when they stopped making it. If it wasn't teased, it wasn't right.
But, she had shoulder surgery twice, never did the exercises, and ended up with two frozen shoulders. It was either go to the beauty school every day or make a change. No, her "modern" hair was not her ideal, but she could blow it dry and brush it out by herself. It took 25 years off her to have short hair, but she was not having it. It was perfectly silver and in great shape, and it made her look really hip!
No ma'am.
The preferred runner up style now is a chin length bob she keeps under control with bobby pins put in at weird angles. It looks ridiculous but that's what she wants, so that's what she gets. $50 a pop for wash, set, and cut at the nursing home beauty shop. But, we can't take her out anymore, so that's the price we pay.
I have to wash mom's in the shower only for that same reason you have. All bent over. She gets drenched at the salon, but all they do now is cut her hair and I wash it at home. I could cut it, but she prefers them to do it, I'm too slow.
If you could do it at home, I guess you could do this: Roll it up and put the solution on and then when it comes time to rinse, just put her in the shower with a curtain or cape or garbage bag over her clothes. Then I'm sure you'd have to change her afterward anyway, but just to keep her a little dry during the process.
I had another thought. Call the nursing home or Assisted Living near you and see if you can bring her in. I'm sure they would be able to accommodate the physical limitations. Or at least they should. Well, anyway, good luck.
Quite right, to facilitate your mother's taking pride in her appearance, not to mention her anxiety if she notices change. Applause to you.