My mom has showered every day of her life that I can remember. She vaguely knows who I am now and has lost so much of her words that make sense. Lately she will not cooperate when we want to put her in the shower. She has a shower bench, etc. but no luck now.
Coconut oil is a great moisturizer. A little goes a looong way!
Good luck. Malachy
Tric6748 - very sorry you have to deal with the situation you are describing, and everyone on this forum is so supportive so you've come to the right place. But you would probably get more "on target" advice by asking a new question that relates to just these issues. Hugs for comfort - at 81 you deserve some rest!
a facility?? I took care of him for 6 years and doctors said I should place him.
They were worried about my health. I am going to be 81 this month.
http://www.alz.org/cacentral/documents/Dementia_Care_32-_The_Battle_of_the_Bathing.pdf
It has taken a very long time to get Dad to where he will clean as much of himself as he does (with a little assistance). Minimally, every two days I gently remind him that it is time to change his clothes - unless there is an urgent need to do so even sooner. He has adapted to the routine quite well and rarely resists, but it does tire him so much that the rest of the day is spent napping off and on.
Previous attempts at showering were met with great resistance despite the fact that we modified his bathroom with a walk-in shower complete with wall-mounted pull down safety seat, grab bars and hand held shower sprayer.
At this point, something is better than nothing!