Since the middle stages of dementia have set in, you’ve noticed your mom’s not doing as well as she used to in terms of hygiene and grooming. As much as you try to help her, your mom rebuffs your assistance, and certainly won’t let you be the one to help her with more intimate tasks like bathing and oral care. Personal care at home services are a good solution.
Proper Clothing Choices Protect Your Health
As dementia increases, the ability to properly choose clothing is tough. Your mom can’t understand what the weather forecast means or how to dress appropriately. You find she starts to wear heavy sweaters and jeans on the hottest days of summer. But, she tries to go outside without a hat, gloves, and heavy coat in the winter.
Personal care at home aides help your mom choose the clothing that matches the weather. She’ll no longer be dressed so that she’s overheating or risking hypothermia if she heads outside.
Your Mom Avoids Pain and Infections With Proper Skin Care Routines
Skin rashes and infections are both possible if your mom is unable to properly care for her skin. This includes washing her skin in a shower, rinsing off all of the soap and residue, and drying off after. She needs to apply moisturizer to protect her skin from drying out and cracking, which increases the risk of developing an infection.
If your mom experiences incontinence, irritation from exposure to urine is possible. After an accident, she should clean up, change her clothing and incontinence pad if needed, and apply a barrier cream. A caregiver can help her do this, as she isn’t going to be able to do it on her own.
Tooth and Gum Care Prevents Infection and Inflammation
As tempting as it is to just stop fighting your mom when it comes to brushing and flossing her teeth, it can lead to painful infections. Gum disease can lead to infections that impact the jawbone and loosened teeth. It makes it hard to eat any foods that need to be chewed.
It can also cause tooth decay which leads to the need for a root canal and crown placement. It’s very unlikely your mom will sit still for this type of procedure, and the care needs following tooth extraction are also concerning.
Arrange personal care at home services that support your mom’s needs in the latter stages of dementia. She’s going to need help with all aspects of grooming and hygiene, including showers, skin care, oral care, dressing, and everything else that she used to do.
Talk to your mom’s doctors about her progression and what you should be expecting in the future. After that conversation, arrange personal care at home to ensure her grooming and hygiene needs are covered.
