The shower bathing as others have said is a common problem. A friend had a similar problem with her Mum. She did not like the shower, did not like water over her head. She said it was "painful" she could not find the right words, what she meant was the temperature was not right for her. Dementia makes people more sensitive to temperatures. Mum said she didn't want a bath. It turned out she found the bathroom in the home too cool for her. Also she said she always had bubbles in the bath at home. Hiding beneath the bubbles also gives a little more dignity . The home explained they would make the bathroom warmer and asked what Mum favourite Bubble bath was. The problem was solved in this instance.
Sometimes it is not asking the right question, or sometimes it is asking too many questions that just makes the loved one cross. Because they can't understand why we can't see the problem with bathing.
Not wanting to change clothes, I think and I may be wrong is a sense issue also.
Your clothes smell of you, it is a familiar smell that you know. When the home wash them they don't smell of you any more. Also they don't smell of the detergent that you used at home. Nor the washing power your Mum used when you were a child. When the daughter washes the clothes they come back with a familiar smell. Daughter uses the same washing power as Mum would. It might not be the same washing powder, but it is a smell Mum recognises from her daughter's home.
Here is a thought:-
Even though things were ok 6/7 months ago, Mum was just "putting up with things". But in the longer term she wants to go back to that nice smell, from when when she did the washing.
We all long for things we liked in the past. Manufactures quite often "change the recipe" of ingredients in products. New improved they like to say. Well no they are not improved I liked the smell of the "old recipe."
