What should I wear while showering my aunt?
I am caring for my loving aunt. She is suffering from age related problems and has difficulty with her hip flexors, her knees, and the shower chair will not provide enough assistance for her needs. I want to install guard rails in her bathroom, but in the mean time, I have been trying to give her regular baths. That has worked out ok, but now whenever she is laying down in the tub, her back is giving her problems and she will NOT let me give her a bed bath. I would feel really uncomfortable showering her while she is holding onto me instead of the chair or the tub. Would it be weird if i wore a bathing suit while helping her? She is my aunt and I love her, but I guess I can be a bit prude, Neither of us can afford to buy disposable aprons to cover.
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I would get a slide over chair, one that she can sit down on outside the tub, hold onto and slide into the tub by lifting her legs over, from outside the tub to inside the tub. It takes the pressure off her back and legs and provides solid support.
And it's far superior to getting completely inside a tub and worse yet, laying down in the tub. That's a really big gamble for anyone with mobility problems, not to mention the stress it could put on your back while trying to assist her getting up.
We've used that the slide-over chair and I found it preferable to other options.
I would also hire a carpenter, not a handyman unless he knows how to install directly into studs, and have grab bars installed into the studs all around the tub. It also helps to have horizontal and vertical bars as well as a sliding bar positioned so that while sitting, she can hold onto the bar and slide herself up if necessary.
Until you get these safety measures installed properly, I would avoid showers or full immersion baths and use "no rinse" products instead. They suds up, can be wiped off and don't require rinsing. I had one while in the hospital about a year and a half ago, and actually (to my surprise) felt clean afterward.
Your aunt would not need to disrobe, be subject to getting in and out of the tub, or subject to a colder room even for the brief moments when the bath is over.
Don't take changes - forget about the baths until you've got proper supports.
probably reusable ..
Good advice Garden Artist. Bison. Do be careful helping with bathing/showering. Glad you are getting the safety bars. I hurt myself very badly helping my mother.
Use a portable heater in the bathroom if you need it warmer, just be sure you have a bathroom rated one or a GFI outlet.
if any british punk bands steal this label within the next 12 months ill sue the @$s off of them ..