Seniors and aging individuals are often unable to maintain their hygiene and sanitary conditions due to partial mobility, lack of energy, and different illnesses. As they age, a set of unique challenges surface, including difficulty maintaining personal hygiene.
Our professional and trained in-home caregiving team in Toronto has taken this chance to explain a few common senior living hygiene challenges and their solutions. We’ve also talked about how personal support workers and caregivers can offer assistance and support to help seniors overcome this issue.
1. Mobility Issue
Limited mobility serves as a major struggle for seniors when it comes to maintaining their personal hygiene. They’re often unable to access bathrooms, toilets, and sinks for hand washing. Doing so also increases the risk of slip and fall accidents, which may lead to injuries. As a result, neglected hygiene results in more severe diseases and an overall decline in health.
The best way to overcome this challenge is to install assistive devices like grab bars and stability mats. You can also hire a full- or part-time home caregiver for proper assistance and surveillance.
2. Cognitive Decline
Seniors with dementia and cognitive or memory problems are also unable to follow a regular hygiene maintenance routine. They are usually unable to recall when they last went to a bathroom or washed their hands. Moreover, such individuals do not worry about their clothes and end up spending days in one outfit.
Elderly people with cognitive issues and memory loss need a personal support worker to for hygiene and medication management.
3. Fear of Falling
Many seniors fear falling or tripping, due to which they perceive accessing a toilet or bathroom risky. This hinders them from fulfilling daily hygiene requirements. You can help them by accompanying them to the bathroom or providing them with shower chairs, non-slip mats, and handrails for safety.
If you’re in Toronto, consider partnering with APEX Health Care Personnel for advanced and highly professional home caregiving solutions for seniors.
We have a team of Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, Personal Support Workers, and caregivers ready to assist you. You can also discuss your private or public healthcare facility staffing needs or hire a full-time caregiver for your aging parents.