Personal Hygeine.

Lila13

Registered User
Feb 24, 2006
1,342
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There are lots of online sources of women's clothes, you could look for those most similar to the ones she prefers already.
 

Ashburton

Registered User
Feb 19, 2007
99
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Well after a period of two weeks without taking a bath, Mum has suddenly started taking baths again, almost every day now, for the two week period if I had filled the bath for her, she would point blank refuse to take one, but now I just ask her if she fancies taking a bath, to which she agrees, so the wet wipes have been stored away for the moment.
 

Ashburton

Registered User
Feb 19, 2007
99
0
Grannie G said:
Lesson learnt. Never give up hope. ;)

I think because I might shower once or even twice a day you expect everyone else to do the same, and I expected my mum to do the same, which I now know was wrong of me, but suppose its a learning curve for me, so now if my mum doesn't want a bath, well she doesn't, and I should NOT force the issue.
 

Natashalou

Registered User
Mar 22, 2007
426
0
london
My mum stinks. Its very unpleasant. She wont accept she has continence problems and she takes the pads off. However I do think a lot of this is coz she actually has no sense of smell she actually doesnt believe there is a problem.
 

janetruth

Registered User
Mar 20, 2007
563
0
nuneaton
Hi Natasha

My Mum has lost her sense of smell, since the onset of AZ and doesn't realise she needs to wash regular. When I suggest a strip wash ( she can't get in our bath), she will say things like 'I'm not dirty' or 'I'll have one tomorrow'.
If Mum lived by herself or in a NH I would probably say it's no big deal and not life threatning.
But Mum lives with us and her Body Odour can sometimes be VERY overpowering.
I have tried using wipes, she says she don't need to use them, I say ' just to freshen you up, Mum' she says 'Why, where am I going'.

Mum has a clean set of clothes nearly every day and I keep all her bedding clean, it helps to keep some of the smell to a minimum.
How difficult it must be to look after alot of AZ sufferers in the NH, especially as they do not have that many staff to cope with the demands of some sufferers.
If all AZ sufferers have no sense of smell, then it does explain why they do not feel the need to wash.
Take Care

Janetruth x
 

karenlsinging

Registered User
Jul 10, 2007
25
0
Edinburgh
janetruth said:
Hi Natasha

When I suggest a strip wash ( she can't get in our bath), she will say things like 'I'm not dirty' or 'I'll have one tomorrow'.

My mum says same thing when you try to get her to wash her hands after using the loo. I say "You'll need to wash your hands now" she looks at them and says they are not dirty. Sometimes I just start running the tap and she puts her hands under them. Sometimes she takes the soap from me, sometimes not, but a rinse is better than nothing! Mind you, when she does take the soap you'd swear she was scrubbing in for open heart surgery as every finger is washed so thoroughly it's incredible to watch!
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
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North Derbyshire
Hygiene

I think we can all get a bit neurotic about this. Given that your parent is around 80 years old, mine lived in a house with gas lights and only cold water till she was about 30 years old. When I was little, we had one bath a week in a tin bath in the front room, all the family in the same bath water. Even now, my mum has a "strip wash" at the sink, 5 days a week, one shower and one bath a week. In her new care home she will get two baths a week. Luxury. I don't think we should fuss too much about cleanliness. We won't die from the lack of a bath.

Regards

Margaret
 

Jilly88

Registered User
Aug 11, 2006
39
0
73
Margate, Kent.
Bathing

Well, I think I might have cracked it at last. My aunt hasn't bathed for years, she also slept in her dress - the same dress she's had on for over 2 years, along with a liberty bodice, vest, 3 pairs of knickers (an under pair, a normal pair and an over pair! Don't ask me???) So, eventually I called the doctor to cajole her into at least taking her clothes off and getting into a night dress, to no avail. Then came the District Nurses who said I couldn't force her to wash or change clothes. As you can imagine, the smell was dreadful and I resorted to plug-ins all over the house which only masked the smell. I then started to think about the war period, and even my own childhood when in the 50s I had a tin bath on a Friday night in front of the fire. One day a few weeks ago (not a Friday) I went into my aunt's room and said 'it's bath night - it's Friday'. She then said 'Well, you'll have to get the bath which is hanging on the coalhouse wall, then you'll have to boil the kettles'. I took a bowl in and told her that the kettles were taking too long to boil so I'd have to give her a strip wash quickly so she didn't get cold. 'Good idea' she said. 'I don't want to catch pneumonia'. So I actully WASHED her!! Now, every few days (because I don't want to push my luck) I tell her it's Friday and bath night! It's working for now and the smell is a little less. However, she has worse habits than not washing her hands after using the toilet I'm afraid. Know what I'm talking about?? Mind you, it hasn't stopped her from screaming, but it's one less problem. It's such a shame because I have a lovely bathroom which I'm SURE she'd love, but she won't entertain it. These things are sent to try us.
Love to all.
Jilly
 

daughter

Registered User
Mar 16, 2005
824
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Well done, Jilly - a great work-around, inspired genius!

Best wishes (or washes) from Hazel.
 

karenlsinging

Registered User
Jul 10, 2007
25
0
Edinburgh
Jilly88 said:
However, she has worse habits than not washing her hands after using the toilet I'm afraid. Know what I'm talking about??
Jilly

Oh yes, fishing the contents of the toilet bowl out after she's used it and dumping it in the sink where she tries to squeeze it down the plughole is the current favourite! My poor dad is distraught at having to clean it up all the time. I think she must have forgotten how to flush the loo and knows she has to get rid of the contents somehow.

Last night, I said to her that dad had mentioned she was getting very mixed up when getting washed and dressed and that I knew she didn't like him doing it for her. She agreed with that. I asked if she would be willing to let a lady nurse come in each morning to help her and she said yes! You could have knocked me down with a feather as dad has been saying "she wouldn't like that" for blooming ages! Will let you know how it goes.
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
0
North Derbyshire
Personal Hygiene

Eh, aren't they all sweeties? Going back to the good old days of the tin bath, once a week if they were lucky. Lets all be a bit more relaxed about hygiene - and I think we are. It ain;'t that important.

Love to all who have problems in getting rellies to be as clean as we would like.

Margaret
 

lynn75

Registered User
Nov 11, 2006
4
0
not the only one

Its put my mind at ease to read other peoples experiences on this matter.My mum has a problem with personal hygiene.I was concerned it was only affecting my mum and i was embarrassed and ashamed about it.I wasnt sure if it was anything to do with her dementia.She never washes at all,she doesnt wash in the morning,have a bath or wash her hair.She wears the same clothes most of the time (including underwear) and im not sure she always flushes the loo! She's just given up on normal day to day things which years ago she wouldve done automatically.Its so sad to see :(
I feel bad about exposing all this on this forum but i need to compare notes with others.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
I feel bad about exposing all this on this forum but i need to compare notes with others.

I know what you mean I also felt like that , but reading post on TP , I came to realize that it was because of the disease that gave my mother those symptoms , not my mother herself , take away the disease my mother would not have those symptoms .

sharing help me not be ashamed of those symptoms , they tell you that people with dementia needs someone to help them wash in the future , but they never tell you the symptoms of the build up of way that leads to they help , those symptoms you explained so well lynn75.
 

Margaret W

Registered User
Apr 28, 2007
3,720
0
North Derbyshire
Dear all

I don't want to minimise or scathe at your distress at some of the habits of your loved ones that you are concerned about, but I do wonder if we are too obsessive about cleanliness. Obviously we don't want to encourage infection, but I'm afraid I am guilty of some of the awful things some of you describe, and I don't have AD or similar (well I don't think so). A few mucky wipes on clothes might seem awful to some of us, but I do it myself sometimes, if I'm wearing something I know is going in the wash later that day. It's called "laziness" in my case, and it doesn't do me any harm.

No, no, don't get me wrong, I know we want to encourage our loved ones to be as fastidious as they used to be, but if they are not any more, I suggest we don't worry. The wet wipes are a great idea, can be used for hands, face and bums! (not all at once!).

Love to all

Margaret

PS I wonder also if we should pay attention to feet. When they are not used as much as they used to be, the skin can get very dry (or indeed if in nylon slippers all day, very wet). the wet wipes can help here as well, especially for those who can't bend easily to wash feet properly - a quick wipe with a wet wipe while sitting on the edge of the bed can be helpful.
 

AJay

Registered User
Aug 21, 2007
123
0
Leics
Washing

Hi all

Bath or shower, Dad always claimed he had one or the other every day. His worsening BO told me otherwise, and coupled with the not so pleasant scent of his whiffy dog and his insistance that his heating is turned up high whatever the temperature outside, it was getting a bit unbearable. So I gently broached the subject. Turns out he'd forgotten how to work the shower and wasn't confident getting out of the bath.

So one nice Red Cross lady (he actually put his false teeth in when he clapped eyes on her) and one bath seat later, and after many reassurances that he doesn't have to use the shower, mainly because I'm worried that he'll scald himself while fiddling with the controls, Dad declares intense satisfaction that he was able to bathe again at last. But his ever growing body odour suggested otherwise, along with the dead spider in his bath that I hate to say I'd deliberately left in there to see if he really was bathing. As I've got back problems I can't lift him out of the bath, and he'd be horrified and totally embarrassed if I was there to see him in all his glory anyway, daughters just don't do that sort of thing!

Oh, and he won't change his clothes. His excuse? He doesn't want me to do any more than I'm doing for him, despite me telling him that the days of hand washing and mangles are long gone and there are new fangled machines that do it all for you. Bless his (grubby) cottons.

I've now come to the conclusion that I don't really care if he smells, I've got used to it anyway. If others wrinkle their noses when he passes then that's their problem. But I do pinch his clothes behind his back to wash or replace and I'm not averse to nipping over to see him when I know he's gone to bed so that I can scoop up the smelly clothes and wash them. Because he forgets things so easily he doesn't wonder where they've gone and happily gets out a fresh set the next morning.

I'm going to try the wet wipes though, never thought of that before! I think he'll be quite entertained by them.

AJay
 

Kate P

Registered User
Jul 6, 2007
565
0
Merseyside
Ona similar topic has anyone noticed a change in breath smell?

Mum is definitely washing because she gets upa few times a night to take a shower :eek: but I am still noticing a strange smell around her sometimes and I'm wondering if it's her breath.

Her teeth look clean enough and I just wondered if this could be linked to dementia in anyway?

Her diet has gone to pot as she has developed a major sweet tooth and is scoffing down mountains of chocolate and sweets everyday

Any thoughts?
 

Canadian Joanne

Registered User
Apr 8, 2005
17,710
0
70
Toronto, Canada
My mother's breath will knock a buzzard off its perch at a hundred yards. I know it's because she no longer can brush her teeth & doesn't allow anyone to brush them for her. I do what I can but I can only brush the front teeth a bit. When I try to brush further back, she bites down on the toothbrush, which now has lots of lovely chomp marks on it. She also cannot rinse & simply swallows the toothpaste. I'm not bothered about that, it can only improve her breath, I figure.

The home also uses a mouthwash & so far the dental team that comes in has been successful in cleaning her teeth twice a year. But sometimes her breath is so bad I smell it when I'm standing behind her:eek:.

Perhaps some of the drugs may have something to do with it, but I suspect it's lack of dental hygiene.
 

connie

Registered User
Mar 7, 2004
9,519
0
Frinton-on-Sea
Joanne,. had not thought of the medication.
Perhaps some of the drugs may have something to do with it, but I suspect it's lack of dental hygiene

Cannot get Lionel toopen his mouth these days, except to be fed.
Will not tolerate a toothbrush near him. Cannot keep his dental plate in now either. Yes his breath smells sometimes......but hey, what can you do.
 

Margarita

Registered User
Feb 17, 2006
10,824
0
london
I really would love to think of it like that , real would but when your living in it with it 24/7 , livening with the small of urine that if left linger a really strange small that a wash down can not take away .


mum argues that she does not want to get into bath , so I leave it just let her have a wash down , but by the day 5 small is lingering on her , so I just had to get bath lift out and bath her , she love it afterwards

in the middle stages when mum use to leak it was not so bad yes wet wipe can , must help I never did use them , but as time go on leaking gets worse and mum won't bath.............
 
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