Flossing their teeth and getting them to brush regularly is a challenge esp in the latter stages. i have to literally put the brush in his mouth and show him how to do it. sometimes to no avail he just sucks the toothepast off! yick. :) i have found though he seems to enjoy brushing more with the little battery powered toothbrushes this week i got a pack of 3 from a discount store for 10dol and he loves the vibration and leaves it on and just walks around with it buzzing. small price for getting him to brush. i do have to floss his teeth while hes in the shower and its a chore..sigh. what isnt these days:) divvi
I was wanting my husband to shave more often than twice a week, but he would only do it if we were going out. I never mentioned shaving, because it was so minor in the scheme of things. Since my grandson moved in with his "use anywhere" electric razor, my husband watched him shave and asked if he could use it, and they've both been shaving every day! <grin>
I get my husband started in his shower after shampooing his hair, and grab his clothes and put them in the dirty clothes hamper and lay out fresh underwear, shirt, pants and socks, so that when he gets out of the shower, he puts on the fresh clothes. So far it has been working.
Divvi, I gave up on flossing! I don't know how you do it!
I tried the battery toothbrush - Ha - He pushed it away and laughs. Guess I will just have to take him for a cleaning more often. He had bottom partial but kept hiding it - Dentist said forget it, he doesn't need it anyway. Good, as I can't find it. Beginning to think maybe a nurse or aide would know better how to bath,etc. Might do more for someone else. Who knows. !!
Mine's stopped using his toothbrush. He went in for his 6-month cleaning the other day and I thought the tech would chide him about it. No, not a word. I give him tic tacs sometimes and that's about it. He doesn't have a partial so it's not a question of bacteria growing beneath; that I'd worry about. But I've learned that Americans are a lot more fastidious about this than the rest of the world is, so whathehell...
Mine hasn't brushed for months. Don't know when it stopped. Instead I've got incessant tooth picking and gum chewing. It is possible that the tooth picking is what he did as a child instead of brushing. Who knows what was going on in Europe during WW II. I've given up on it, but will try another dentist's visit when the 6 months is up. The last one went OK.
Starling, my husband chews the inside of his gums on the right side and has for months! I don't think that has been mentioned here before. I used to try to get him to stop, but I gave up. I took himto the dentist for teeth cleaning in June. We get 2 visits a year with our dental plan, so every 6 months his teeth get professionally cleaned. Though he does brush his teeth, he doesn't do a very good job any more, but as you all have said, at least it's something.
Mary, gum as in chewing gum. I buy the extra large packs by the case at the local WAWA. He is like one of those smokers who light the new cigarette from the old one. In his case he wraps the old gum in the new gum's wrapper.
This disease is just too weird, but the compulsions and odd behaviors just take over.
i also did the chewing gum til he started swallowing it everytime:) not good for the digestion as we all know. now we have to hide any gum he will eat and swallow the whole pack if unattended, beware, divvi
Personally, I think given our situation, I would prefer my husband chew chewing gum rather than the inside of his cheek! It looks awful, and I'm afraid of what will happen if he breaks the skin! But he also has complained about having trouble swallowing, so no chewing gum for him. <sigh>
You have to make sure they're using the right products, too. I've stopped my husband as he was getting ready to put deodorant on his toothbrush a few times. Maybe it's because the tube of toothpaste and the deodorant container are red. After he gargled with green shaving lotion instead of green mouthwash a few times, I eliminated his mouthwash. I remind him to shampoo on a regular basis. I have to show him each time how to put the shampoo on his hands and then scrub his scalp. Last night, I had to help him get his partial denture out. I don't have a lot of strength in my fingers (arthritis), so that was hard.
I also, have had to start directing my husband on taking a shower. I tried notes on what to do, however, that didn't work. So now I stand in the bathroom outside the shower, telling him what to do next. Recently, had to deal with jock itch....never thought in a million years I would use that word. I thought he would be able to spray the medicine where it need to be, however, I was wrong, he sprayed the toilet seat. Finally, after quite a confrontation he allowed me to help.
Kadee, This is where a little in-home help for personal care would be handy. My hubby's helper showers and shampoos him; dries and deoderizes; and also lotions his feet before helping him dress. There's no way I can balance on crutches or hold onto a grab bar and do all that. The helper is also a second set of eyes for any irritations or injuries. This is especially important because unless there is blood hubby just ignores injuries.
Big old goose egg and he asked helper to skip shampoo, because he had a tender spot. Raised, black and blue, small cut. He said it happened "a while ago, in the garage". Didn't remember any other details.
What would we do without Frank to make us laugh? Thanks Friend....We don't have any trouble with the flossing and brushing the teeth. This man who never chewed gum started chewing gum constantly. I couldn't keep enough gum so I started giving it to him as a treat. After meals he goes and takes care of the flossing and brushing and his reward is a stick of gum. Yes, that makes me feel bad to treat him that way but we do what we have to do.
Showering is an ongoing problem, Amazingly, when we were in Florida last week with my son's family, he got up one morning and told me he was taking a showere and shaving.... wow. Maybe it was hearing the kids being told to shower each night, and it wasn't me telling him (and actually I only require it of him once a week) but he insists that Im after him every day to take a shower. heaven forbid!!!
I don't know if these tips have been posted before, but they were suggested to me by a gerontologist today:
--If disrobing is a problem, get the bathroom all hot and steamy and bring the fully dressed patient in. They should be cooperative in removing clothing under those conditons!
--If there is resistance to changing clothing, "accidentally" spill some water on them. Then they should want to change.
I know that at my husband's day care, if someone has an accident or leaks, they NEVER tell the person. They tell the client that someone spilled something and they accidently got wet and let's go change. The RN says it doesn't embarrass the person and makes them more cooperative.
What an interesting way to handle it. My DH often says, oh what is this, why am I wet.... I told him. Maybe I'll change my story and get more cooperation. We'll see. thanks.
Divvi, I am so with you!!! lol I change Lloyd's clothes every day if needed. He gets a shower every other day and he sleeps in his clothes most of the time. Who needs to fight a battle that is so unnecessary! I go in the shower with Lloyd since I have to do everything anyhow. It's a lot easier to do it in the shower with him rather than standing outside and getting wet anyhow! Oral hygiene is HELL! Maybe he can ride in the back seat of Phranque's convertible with his mouth open. I even get in there with a fourth of a paper towel saturated in mouthwash besides brushing. I have been keeping his plate and partial out more lately. I do soak them in vinegar. Vinegar is amazing for getting the plaque off the dental appliances. Actually works better and more cheaply than cleansing tablets.