Personal hygiene is an aspect inherent in our daily routine, which we carry out automatically and without too many complications. It is a simple act that we can perform by ourselves. In the case of older people, this is not always the case.
Due to aging, or due to loss of mobility or certain degenerative diseases, independence is lost to carry out daily tasks such as personal hygiene. Given this circumstance, a dependent elderly person requires help to be able to maintain adequate hygiene habits.
If the elderly person can support himself with relative stability, we can bathe him in the shower as long as we prioritize his safety. For this, it is convenient to have support items such as a stool, a chair, grab bars and stickers on the floor to prevent slipping.
Depending on the mobility and resistance of the elderly person, we may just have to keep them company and help them hold on or reach certain areas with the sponge. While if the dependency is greater, we will have to wash the body of it completely ourselves.
For bedridden elderly people, you should wash their body by areas in the following order: neck, trunk, arms, armpits, legs, back, feet, genitals, and perianal region. Go drying each area individually after cleaning it, so that the person is not cold or is undressed for too long.
