Personal Hygiene For The Elderly - Encouraging Hygiene Habits In The Elderly

Personal hygiene is an important aspect of an individual's routine. Every individual takes care to remain fresh through the day. You wake up each morning, brush your teeth, shower and deodorize yourself. A break in this routine will give you a feeling of being dirty and cause depression and frustration. Unfortunately, personal hygiene may become an issue for the elderly, due to illness or bad health. When elderly people are unable to take care of this routine of personal hygiene, they need assistance from another individual. It is necessary to set up a daily routine for the personal hygiene of any elderly person you are entrusted with.

It is essential to build up trust with the person that you are responsible for caring. You can talk them through the routine you will be setting up for their daily care and hygiene, the first few times. This will help them to know what to expect and may help them relax a bit. Most elders are reluctant to let someone else administer their personal hygiene. It gives them a sense of being dependent and having lost their dignity. This may cause them to react angrily or verbally abuse the caregiver. This is understandable under the circumstances, and one can try to see their point of view to appreciate what they are going through. Therefore, a lot of patience and understanding is required to administer personal hygiene to the elderly.

If the senior can take care of at least a small part of their personal hygiene, they must be encouraged to do so. This will give them a feeling of achievement and independence and also help to lift up their spirits. Even a small thing done by them is better than nothing at all. The routine established for a senior's personal hygiene should include washing, deodorizing and brushing teeth. These are integral parts of personal hygiene and should be undertaken daily. Other small activities can be added to the routine depending upon the individual's need. For instance, in case of women, if they like to put on make up, then this should also be encouraged.

Maintaining the personal hygiene for the elderly will promote physical well being and mental health. You may be able to detect any bodily changes that may take place in the form of lumps or bruises, if you perform the washing routine for the senior. By noting the changes in the body, you are creating a kind of record that can alert you to any potential illnesses. This will help in early diagnosis of any potential health problems that may arise in future.

Personal hygiene is a sensitive area and most elders are reluctant to entrust this work to another person. Personal hygiene for the elderly must be handled with tender care and patience. It helps to build up trust and creates a bond between both the persons involved in the activity.