What can a caregiver do when the parent yells, "No, I don't want to take a bath" and they physically fight you when you try to get them up out of bed or their chair to help them into the bathroom? The whole situation becomes heated and very stressful every time, which is quite frustrating because I don't believe that forcing someone to do something they are clearly adamant about not doing is wrong. However, cleanliness is a necessity! Not bathing/showering can cause serious health issues for the person, as well as the caregiver. It has become a battle twice a week, and I even hired a CNA Batahing Nurse to come help, but the same thing continues to happen and the Nurse won't force her into the bathroom either. Please help. Thank you!
We went through through this with my father. He would have never showered, given the option. After I got here we made him shower at least once a week. We turned the heat up in the house and put a towel on the heater vent so it would be warm when he got out. Then my mother turned the water on to the right temperature and sat with him until he was finished bathing. He always felt better after bathing. I don't know why he hated so badly to do it. I guess he was afraid of falling or maybe the water felt wrong. He never said. He had mixed dementia and was frail.
But boy oh boy, getting to "that point" is such a difficult place to be! The emotions and feelings they dredge up, especially when you have been at this a long time, Uggg! We are currently tip-toeing into those uncharted waters ourselves at the moment, after 13 years of caring for my FIL in our home.
I hate it, but unfortunately, we are all "aging in place", and somethings gotta give, before one of us caregivers gives out!
In most cases, our parents wouldn't want us to Never Enjoy our Own Retirement yYears, finally being free from our many years of hard work, raising our families, planning and saving for our retirement. We are indeed the Sandwich Generation!
Clearly I'm frustrated too, sorry to have gotten of topic, and now obviously, I need to go and watch some of those Teepa Snow Videos on Utube!!!