My DH needed to shave this morning before his dermatologist appt. I put the pre-shave on him and gave him the electrtic razor. I had him start shaving while I went to the bedroom to get dressed. Not long after that I heard him saying how the razor was pulling. When I stepped back into the bathroom he was running the razor over the side of his head!!! After I took a very long time uncoiling and removing the hair from the razor heads I helped him finish shaving. At least when I take him for his next haircut he won't have to have much cut off the right side :-)
Several nights ago, I reminded my husband to brush his teeth while I was dressing for bed. When I came into the bathroom, he had a mouth full of shaving foam. He didn't understand why I made such a fuss. (Later it was funny...but all I could think of then was how to get all of that thick white foam out of his mouth!!)
I'm glad I haven't had to deal with that. I was lucky and caught that he could no longer brush his teeth or shave before it became an issue. I tried shaving the first time with a razor and decided not to do that again. I bought an electric razor.
Diane, I use the electric razor (with the mustache trimmer) to trim his mustache and around his mouth. His skin is not to the point that I can't give him a close enough shave with the electric razor on his cheeks and neck, and have to use the old fashioned razor there.
As for brushing his teeth, he still does it right (with the vibrating toothbrush) but doesn't do it all and needs help getting the back teeth. He allows any of the three of us to help him with brushing his teeth and shaving.
Have any of you had skin problems on the face? My husband (who has never had a bump or rash or pimple on his face) has his forehead break out occasionally. I can but bactricide ointment on it before bed and it's gone the next morning, but in a week or so, it comes back. We're not using any new products, so I have no idea what has caused it.
i still shave with the triple reg razors DH in the shower. those razors are the ultimate. i worry about cutting him but hes very still and still tries helping by moving his face like when he used to do it:) so its a nice clean shave. i have the electrics but they dont do the job as well and use them in between sometimes but they pull hair and he doesnt like it as much. the vibrating toothbrushes are my salvation for brushing. he lays on the couch and 'brushes' all day:) and when up he's got it in his pocket:) i go thru many of them but its ok. i also floss in the shower when he'll let me. the edge shaving creme is working well for us and gives a better shave in my opinion. mary not sure what would cause a breakout on the forehead? strange.
The dermatologist took 3 biopsies from my DH yesterday. Two on his face and one on his back. Results will be about a week. He also looked at the new bumps and spots DH has on his face and said they are a result of his "getting younger". Didn't recommend anything for them though.
We have an electric tooth brush as well but DH doesn't do a good job at all. He has had a lot of dental work and has a denture implant on the bottom. After he cleans that you can still see food on it. I also have to floss it every day and he goes to the dentist every couple of months.
Mary, I bought the same type of razor (with mustache trimmer). DH doesn't clean himself very much so his skin has gotten oily. I told him it was time to take his shower last night and he didn't know what to do. After I got him started he was ok. I think the full time cleaning is around the corner lurking now.
Thank goodness for the electric toothbrush. All I have to do for DW is pass it over the teeth and let the spinning head do the brushing. Bed baths take me the better part of an hour, so I don't do it every day. More like in the Old West, when they would have their Saturday night bath.
After Claude went on hospice, He had an aide that came in three days a week to help him shave and shower. She was wonderful and got him to do things that I never could lol.
On one of her off days, I shaved him (I was never good at it). When I was done, he looked at himself in the mirror and told me "you did okay but that other gal does it much better".
It was funny, particularly so by this point when he didn't speak much anymore.
My DH is adverse to anything electric. He doesn't want to hold the electric shaver or the electric toothbrush. I think he's moving more and more toward the "NO" stage. I'm working on getting more help - I know I've reached that point!! Especially today. I'm so tired I can't think straight. I may be dehydrated. My brain seems to be functioning only in slow motion!! I've been out for about 5 hours and it's so hot...in the 90's and very humid. I'm drinking water now - glass after glass.
Hi Diane, We have been having shower difficulties for about 6 or 8 months. He can still get in the shower, after I have to remind him from 3 to 6 times. He walks in the bathroom turns around comes back out and says what do I do? I say go get in the shower. And depending on the day, we repeat that cycle several times. He can still turn on the water and soap up pretty good. I sit on the sink and remind him what the next step is, somedays he gets it on his own...other days he needs some verbal cues. It 's a hard way for me to start the day, especially when I am trying to get to work. But he doesn't want to shower at night. So we do the best we can and he can maintain some independence. Do I feel like screaming some mornings? Yep Or banging my head against the bathroom tile? You bet. Or catching the next flight to somewhere else? haha. But it passes and we go on with our day. I haven't been able to post for a while...how are you doing?
I also feel like screaming at times. DH is in bed when I got to work. He usually wakes up about 9:00 and my help arrives by 10:00. So when shower time occurs, it is usually the evenings or weekends! I have someone who comes in Monday's and Tuesdays, and bless her heart - my mom comes watches him Wednesday-Friday. She's 77 and I know it must be tough on her. Next week I get a little break, I have to head to St. Louis for a few days. It will give me a break even if it is work related!
My husband shaved with an electric razor with help. However, this week he does not remember how. I have been shaving him...but under his nose is difficult for me. I have been just doing the best I can. Any suggestions?
Mine's been doing no good with the electric razor lately, and the CNA Andrew is having no luck getting him to let him shave him (after months of doing it) so a couple of days ago I read up on ehow how to do it, and I used shaving cream and a new razor. Nicked him a couple of times but it actually was quite satisfying! About 3/4 through, he took the razor over and did around his mouth, upper lip etc all by himself. It came back to him!
Right afterward, when he was dressed and went to the stair glide to come down for breakfast, he forgot how to sit on the stairglide chair. One step forward, one step back.
Kadee, I find that if you put your finger on the end of the nose and gently lift the nose up, it will stretch the skin and help some. I also took over the shaving when DH started shaving up the back of the head. He was supposed to be shaving the back of his neck.
ehow.com! google "how to shave" and then wait a few seconds and see all the possibilities!! The one you want is how to shave your face. but the others will be eye openers!
i also have shaved DH with the triple blades from gillette for yrs now. trick is to use a good shaving creme ( i prefer the gel ones to foam) on warm wet skin and a good razor blade. dip the razor often in water to start again after shaving some as water helps soften the hairs and pull loose skin to get a clean shave. around the nose can be tricky and i got one of the very slim tiny mini shavers we lady use for around the upper lip to use on DH as well. it works SUPER well for every hair. like everything else we have to learn its tricky the first times but with practice its sooo easy now-
tip... in between shaves if you use bladed razors keep them in a small dispenser or cup with a little olive oil to cover blades, it keeps them sharp and reduces having to throw out so often!
Thanks divvi. We're not this far yet but I'll know exactly where to find the info when I need it. Dh doesn't do a very good job shaving and won't do it very often, but his beard is blond and light and hardly noticeable. I have to threaten not to go out cycling with him to get him to shave.
Funny, in an earlier stage he was shaving all the time. He would get up in the night, shave, and then come back to bed. My psychoanalyst friend thought that maybe looking in the mirror and shaving was a moment of searching for the self that was threatening to disappear. Now perhaps it has disappeared and shaving doesn't help anymore.
Wow divvi...since I have been shaving DH..thanks for olive oil hint! Also, use the raise tip of nose trick for upper lip. Before we begin I put a warm, wet facecloth on his face to soften his beard...makes it easy and fun.
My DH used to use a brush and shaving soap in a dish, but had changed to shaving cream (like Gilette) for years. But earlier this year all of a sudden he found that old soap and brush and went back to using it. When we went to Ohio in October I found that he had taken the soap and brush back out of his toiletries bag (I'm sure I put them in). Luckily we found a box at Walmart containing a dish, soap and a brush. He likes to work up a lather.
I now shave dh in the shower, thanks to divvi's earlier posts. Now I'll try the olive oil suggestions. Thank you, divvi. I recently discovered, by trial and error that lifting the tip of the nose a little helps tremendously. I hate shaving him, but I also hate to see him with a few days' growth of whiskers, knowing how meticulous he has always been about his appearance.
i have been using the olive oil for keeping the blades sharper for some time now. it usually extends the shaving time to double most of the time. blades rust in moisture in bathrooms and when they rust they tend to dull, the oil keeps them from rusting!-i usually wash the oil from the blade in soapy water first so its not slippery on the face. it can cut so be careful!
i notice if my DH goes without shaving for a day or two hes grouchy we all know a stubbly face can itch and make you uncomfortable. when hes shaved and lotioned hes in a better mood.
Divvi, that's a good point about the grouchiness. I know DH always used to feel uncomfortable when he hadn't shaved, so maybe he still does and just doesn't know it. Another thing to watch out for.
I wonder if the "younger" AD spouses would welcome a shave with a regular razor. My husband is 65, and I'm sure he's used electric his whole life. I can't imagine that he would ever submit to me using a regular razor on him--thankfully, shaving is something he's still good at (right now).
I am not going to find out marilyn. He stopped using his electric razor the past week. Son used it this morning and told him he looked like a grizzly. Another chore I am going to have to take over. Feeding part of his meal is becoming more frequent now. He is getting more food on the floor feeding himself.
DH and I were both at the hairdresser's yesterday and a man came in and made an appointment for "shave and a haircut." I didn't know they still did that. I know that there is a hairdresser's at the day care; you can make an appointment for a haircut. I wonder if they also do shaves. ANybody experience with professional shaves?
I shaved my husband this morning before going out - the old-fashioned way. He actually reacts better to that than to me using the elec. razor on him. Go figure.
After a period of very messy or no shaving, when his neck got all hairy and I had to threaten all kinds of things to get him to shave just a little bit, the problem seems to be solved, at least for the time being. I bought an electric razor (advice from this site) although dh always hated them. He used it a couple times and seemed to like it but he still would not willingly shave or let me help him. Then I discovered that (like for his bath) evening is a better time than morning. We now have a bath together about every other evening at his bedtime (around 8 pm). He will let me wash his hair if I remind him that I'll blow it dry for him afterwards. After getting out of the tub he can't find his shirt (guess what happened to it) so is willing to put on a pajama top that I bought for him that looks quite a bit like a dress shirt (someone here said something about a "sleep shirt" and that gave me the idea) and he sits down at my vanity and lets me blow his hair dry. I can see him enjoying it, I think it's his favorite moment of the day. Then when I'm finished I just pick up the (cordless) razor without saying a word and proceed to shave him. Much easier than I thought and he sits there calmly and cooperates. Then he gets into bed, I tell him I still have to call my mother but I'll be in in a few minutes (actually, a few hours). It works! For him, evenings just work much better than mornings for hygiene.
i've been shaving my DH with reg razor in the shower for yrs now. as he is a morning person its best for us but i am night person so it may be reasonable some like pm better. good luck jeanette-you are finding ways to make it work- divvi
Well, alzspouse to the rescue again. Tonight while getting meds out for hb, he hugged me and put his cheek against mine. I said, "You really need to shave tomorrow." I don't think he's shaved since Saturday night. He said, "You'll have to do it." Me: "Can't you do it anymore? I don't know how; you'll have to show me." Hb: "Not very well." So, I guess we've crossed another bridge. Based on info on this blog I bought him an electric razor last year, but he's never liked them; so hasn't used it much. I can't find any of his other razors, and he says he's never used pre-shave stuff (I believe him) and he hasn't used shaving cream for ages, I think--just soap or body lotion??? So, I've cleaned his electric razor, put it in the charger, and again, thanks to this site, I'm going to google how to shave a face.
DH has, over the years, had just about every electric razor made and didn't like any of them. He went back to a safety razor and then complained about them being no good. Eventually he couldn't change the blades so I was doing it. Last week we went to Sam's and bought a pack of 52 throw away razors so we will see what happens with them. BTW, they each have a plastic cover on and he tried to shave with the first one with the cover still on it, then last night he brought the pack to me to get a razor out! I am guessing the next step will be me having to shave him.
I have been shaving my DH for a few years now. He has a very thick beard and a cleft in his chin. So lots of bumps and crevices and his skin is not as tight as it once was. He also has no teeth or dentures to "push" against. I have tried every electric shaver on the market and none of them work well for him and if it pinches his skin, you'd think I was trying to skin him...the screams! I use premium disposables, shave cream and go fast! He is a constantly moving target and cannot follow directions, like..look up. I can get his cheeks and most of his neck with a few strokes, but that darn chin! He always has had a mustache, so I let him grow a goatee for awhile, then use a small electric groomer to take down the chin area every few weeks. I also cut his hair. Did it yesterday. I have been doing this for about 8 years now and I have gotten pretty darn good. Again, he is a moving target so I have to move fast. Thank God I like the top of his hair a little choppy. ;)
There was a thread about shaving a while ago. My DH sits on the couch & (dry) shaves, so much so that he sometimes cuts his face up. I have given up telling him not to do that cuz he just gets angry at me. He usually keeps his razors (disposable) in his back pockets & then he wonders why the heads are broken off when he takes them out of his pockets (but I have stopped trying to explain that to him too.)
I'm so glad I found this thread today. I sent an e-mail to all my kids and asked them to get together and buy a GOOD electric razor so I can keep DH well-groomed. I cannot use a regular razor on him as I can't see well enough. His shaving is very sporatic--he misses half of the beard and, believe me, he's very scruffy. I'll let you know how this works. I really appreciate all of your comments.
I do have a little funny that he said many ears ago (before AD). He always started a moustache on Thanksgiving Day. He let it grow and he shaved it off on Opiphany Sunday. He called it his Christmas ornament.
I generally complained that it was really scratchy when he kissed me. His response? "When you are going on a picnic you have to expect a little brush."
My DH has complained for years about razors being "no good". He has had every electric razor known to man or beast and went back to a regular razor. A few months ago he decided that was "no good". A month or two ago we were at Sam's and they had disposable razors with 52 in the pack so we bought them. The package said to use one each week which he did for a few weeks then I found out he was using one each day! Of course they ended up being "no good". The problem is he has some tiny bumps or pimples on his face and of course he cuts them and they bleed. Last week I bought him a Fusion Pro Glide but I didn't get the one with a battery because he had that type a couple of years ago and that was.....you guessed it "no good". He used the new razor twice and didn't use shaving cream!!!! He played around with it and managed to get the blade part off and didn't know how to get it back on so I had to do that. Now that razor is "NG". I am about ready to scream or throw every razor in the trash. I didn't think shaving was rocket science but I am starting to wonder if it is. If anyone has any tips that would help I would appreciate hearing them.
jean sounds like it may be time to supervise the shaving in the morning. warm soapy water over the beard first then a nice lather shaving creme. i like the gel ones for sensitive skin best. then you may can sit him in a chair in front of mirror and try to guide him into remembering how? if not maybe just try to do it yourself. i was so scared to do my first shave with real triple blades -i think they get a closer shave and i use a blade a week as they are pricey. you can sit the razor after use in a small amount of olive oil and the razor will stay sharper as it cant rust which is what makes them dull. i bought so many electric razors but they dont get the close tougher beards in my opinion. i use a small electric one in betwee sometimes - not having a good close shave can be very irritating and cause the skin to itch and burn. (remember our stubbled legs ladies or underarms!:) so helping them in this area may keep them less stressed. the bumps can come from dry shaving and isnt pleasant either its imperative he soften and lather with shaving gel or at mimimum soap. good luck. yes its more one task we have to take over in the long run. i am a pro at it now.. grin.. divvi
haha. jean sounds like a plan for me 'after' ... running the circuits from caregiver home to caregiver homes showing how to clean poop and shave.. maybe i found my calling. vbg. you can do it!! i know i know we dont want to take on more responsiblity but sometimes we just gotta take the bull by the horns. its easy once you get the hang of it. i am sure the men here will chime in.:)
On the other thread about shaving, I said my DH complained that the new razor I gave him for Christmas was not good...after I took a look at it it was fine, just needed cleaning..it was one of the early signs something was not right but I didn't catch on right away.
When it became apparent I was going to take over the shaving job (along with all the other jobs), I bought a Norelco cordless based on comments at this site. Had to teach myself and was uncertain, but now I'm fairly proficient. Using the manual blades gives a closer cut; so I do that about once a week, too. So, if you're feeling it will be a difficult job, it isn't if spouse is cooperative. I use waterless shampoo as a result of comments of folks on this site, too, a couple times a week. Regular shampoo does better, I think, but...Purchased Tena briefs based on comments here, too. WOW! I get all my good advice/recommendations here. Thanks a bunch to all, that's including our "leader" Joan, too.