Last week one day and today, I ran the bath water and my DW got into the tub. When she was done with the bath she could not stand up. I had to literally get in the tub and lift her up on her feet. I suspect that baths will be coming to an end, and will have to start giving her showers. We also have a shower stall with a sit on ledge. The reason I have been giving her baths is so that her bottom gets a good cleaning, and she is also incontinent, Anyone else had this problem?
No, but I have noticed that DH won't get into the shower if the water is coming out of the shower head. I think it's probably time for showers. Can she still bathe herself with direction or do you have to clean her?
bengy its fortunate you can lift her. i had this problem and the last time he was totally unable to get himself out of the tub. it took several people to haul him out. it would be a better choice to get a nice soft padded shower chair with arms so she feels safe sitting and secured. the shower water does tend to spook them so have it very low and as noise free as possible. the transitions are always hard when they happen. with the shower chair you will still be able to clean her bottom from underneath with the shower hose. it may be a better option than the tub.
Benjy - Divvi mentioned a shower hose. You can buy them in Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart. It is a shower head attached to a long hose. You install it in place of the immovable shower head. Then you just take it down and use it in any body area that needs it. I've had them for years in both bathrooms. Love them.
Just my opinion, but from what you wrote, I think the baths are getting too dangerous for both of you. You are both going to end up falling. By the way, whenever you are in the bathroom, it is a good idea to keep your cell phone handy. Close enough that you can get it in an emergency, but far enough away from the water that it doesn't end up in the toilet, as mine did last year.
My DH is also scared of the shower but will use a soapy washcloth to clean himself and just holds it under the showerhead to slop water on himself. I do have to continually remind him to use soap and not to rinse the liquid soap out of the washcloth before he uses it.
Showers are not easy at my house. A few things that make them a little easier for me. I tie the shower curtain back out of the way. Put on my shorts and a T top and no shoes. I stack wash cloths and hand towels on a small stool ( I find hand towels work better for me when it comes to drying him). He sits on the bath chair and holds the shower head for me and it makes him feel useful. I wash his feet and lower legs first and toss the wash cloth. I then use one of the mesh balls and soap him down and rinse him off. He can then pull himself to a standing position and I use another soapy cloth on his bottom half. I really like the small hand towels for drying and after I get him out I hand him a towel to finish up. I do wash his face using Cetaphil and the shampoo that doesn't have to be rinsed. He does not like water on his head. Maybe one of these tips might be useful to you. We have the small walk-in shower so I can't get in there with him which would make things easier.
The ledge in the shower stall is slippery and she could slip off of it. AND, I would think you'd have a hard time getting around to her back side. The shower chairs are very inexpensive and are perfect! Even in a tub if you don't have a shower stall. I used the liquid soaps called "Bath wash", easy to rinse off and they make great lather. In the beginning, I would soap up a washcloth for him and I'd use a big shower net, wet and loaded with lather. Soap'd him all over, and then we'd sing a rub a dub dub song...and tried to make it more fun than fussy. No way you will stay dry and you'll feel like you've run a marathon when you finished, but congratulations!!!!....MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!! Just keep in mind that safety should be foremost in your mind. What works for one may not work for the other. For example, I often used 3-4 bathtowels on the floor and often INSIDE the shower stall, to avoid slippage from the soapy floor and his soft feet. It's just as easy to toss four towels in the washer ..right?
HB absolutely will NOT let me help him w/shower. Said he didn't want me to purchase a shower chair. Well, HA; I bought one and hired an aide to supervise shower. I have no idea how it goes because I leave to visit friends or run hours for 3 hrs. Aide says hb does okay if he's reminded what he needs to do each step. Aide hasn't mentioned needing more towels, etc., but suggestion of more is good. So next time, I'll set out a stack of each size and wash cloths. When we built house 6 years ago, I requested a roll-in shower w/hand rails. Two of us *could* be in it at the same time as in days of yore, but that's not gonna happen now.
Yesterday hb wouldn't change underwear and held on the waist for dear life when I tried to cajole and remove. So, I got my scissors and cut them off (perfectly good underwear, but dirty). Hb said, "Now look what you've done." I $ertainly can't keep cutting underwear off. Lucky I was cutting down the back and not the front or my scissors "might" have slipped.
If you haven't bought a bathmat for the tub in a while, check out the new ones. I didn't realize it, but now they come in much bigger sizes and cover almost the entire tub floor (the old ones I had covered about half a standard size tub). This kind has to be safer, and it was very reasonable at Walmart.
Zibby, I had to cut underwear off a few times....luckily buying underwear was one of his "things" so he had plenty to spare.......I remember telling my friends about it and the look on their faces was priceless. But nothing could beat the look on my husband's face when he was still clutching the underwear but they weren't on his body......The nutty stuff we have to do.
i cut off plenty of underwear shirts and pants! i said it before i wouldnt live with a stinky husband and he finally got my message once he saw scissors.. grin. but be careful they can and will grab the scissors if you arent careful. :(
I found a neat shower spray with hose - on line and purchased it for Paul. It worked much better for us but now I can't find it. It was mfg. by a small company and I think that was the only product they had so they may be out of business. It still have in hooked up to use when I wash my hair. Have the diverter in place so either the permnant fixture or the hose fixture will work. It has a pistol grip shower similar to a garden hose pistol grip and the water flow is regulated by squeezing the pistol grip, just like your garden hose nozzle. Flow can be shut on or off whit one hand and it worked much better for us because he was in control. I think a pistol grip garden hose nozzle could be adapted to use. Just a cheap one with no spray adjustment. I let him hold it while I soaped him down with a scrungy and then I would borrow it to help him rinse off.
Oh, yes, the bathmat.... We have the small walk-end shower with the drain in the middle of the bottom. I bought a large mat and cut a hole the size of the drain so now the water drains out. Maybe someone can use this tip.
Good idea Bama. The plastic "non skid" shower floor mats are definitely NOT non-skid..with soapy water on them. My husband could barely stand up on one. He didn't know how to grip with his toes at this stage. Your idea of cutting a drain hole in the bathmat is a good one. It would be soggy but not slippery. Whatever works, right?
Some but not all hand showers have an on-off button or trigger (as Imohr describes) on the handheld part, which gives you much more control if you are washing someone. We built a completely new bathroom and have both a permanent shower head and a hand shower with separate water controls in the same shower stall. Also, if you buy a hand shower that attaches to a vertical bar, make sure the bar is rated as a grab bar--many are not.
Thank you Pam for explaining "trigger". Goggled it and here is the site I ordered from. I ordered the small one. http://neatitems.com/siroflex_trigger_sets.htm.
Any hand held shower can be converted to be turned off/on. We live in an RV and buying one made for an RV with the on/off button is much more expensive. You can go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy the valve that you put between the hose and shower head. Just a reminder for those who have never had one - they leak a little when shut off: this is to keep the hose from bursting from water pressure.
I've used a plastic sitz bath that fitted into the toilet because DH fought showers and baths. I would put Cetaphil liquid soap into his hand, and he would clean himself well. Then I dried when he stood up. The rest of the body is easy to sponge.
trying to get my DH to take a bath or shower is not working..I've tried all of the suggestions and no way is going to get into that tub. He insists that he's more than clean enough taking his sponge bath..He won't let me in the bathroom with him so I really don't know how long it's been since he was actually in the tub...about a month ago i started paying attention and saw that the bath mat and towel were not wet and we've been having this struggle ever since. He gets really angry when I try to reason with him I know you all know "that look". I'm just venting....