Importance of Regular Hair Washes in Seniors
With age, many elderly adults develop diseases, illnesses and age-related conditions that limit their ability to care for themselves.
At these times, they turn to family caregivers to assist them with their daily living needs. From housekeeping and cooking to bathing and dressing, the aging adult relies more and more on others for help. One area that seniors and family caregivers cannot overlook is personal hygiene, specifically in washing hair.
Elderly Care in Berwyn PA: Senior Hair Care
Depending on the aging adult, they can view washing hair as an important part of staying clean or they can consider it a waste of time and they don’t want to bother.
Resistance to washing hair may be rooted in their fear of falling or avoiding it for modesty issues. It doesn’t matter what their motivation is to avoid washing their hair, it’s a matter of health and wellness.
If aging adults don’t wash their hair regularly, they can develop oily and dirty hair that looks and smells bad. Self-esteem is important for anyone, and unclean hair can lead to a low opinion of themselves and even embarrassment to be seen in public. Limited social activity and isolation aren’t good for mental health in seniors.
Regarding physical health, aging adults could develop skin conditions like rashes, sores or infections, that could affect their health. Family caregivers must insist on regular hair washing to prevent unhygienic conditions and keep seniors looking their best.
One solution to regular hair washing in seniors involves hiring an elderly care provider to assist.
These professionals are trained to help seniors in any way they can. Many elderly care providers help with housekeeping, meal planning, laundry, dishes, and personal care. They may be able to persuade or motivate aging adults into washing their hair where family caregivers could not.
Many elderly care providers take a holistic approach to washing an elderly person’s hair. The first step is to schedule a time when the senior is calm and has had plenty of time to mentally prepare. Elderly care providers can also prepare everything they need for a successful bath session. For example, they can gather everything they need for the shower in one place for easy reach. This includes shampoo, towels, robes and more.
Other factors that can contribute to a positive hair-washing experience is to avoid cold temperatures, overcome modesty issues, work around shyness and more. In many cases, the elderly adult simply needs time to adjust to the elderly care provider’s presence and method of helping with bathing, showering and hair washing.
Family caregivers need to focus on washing their aging loved one’s hair at least once every week. If the senior is unable to do it themselves or they are resistant to the family caregiver doing it, it might be time to get help from elderly care providers.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Berwyn, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care.
Call today: (484) 206-4544
Ibrahim recently completed a Professional Certificate in Management; He is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administrations (MBA) at a prestigious university in the UK.
With their passion for helping others and a strong background in customer services and clinical care, Ibrahim and his wife started assisting individuals in their homes.
Since started and operating Suma Home Care in 2010 in the basement of their home, Suma Home Care has provided professionals who work endlessly in providing clients with the highest quality of care, while enabling clients to maintain dignity, comfort and safety in their homes.
Suma Home Care, serves four counties in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia. Ibrahim is firmly connected to his local community and is always looking for ways to give back whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Ibrahim enjoys spending time with his wife and children, travelling and enjoys sports.
Mariama Suma-Keita BSN RN
Born in Sierra Leone west Africa, relocated to America in 1999 from a civil war and settled since in the U.S.A as a Naturalized citizen Graduated from National school of nursing with an associate , and completed BSN in Nursing from Immaculata University graduated with Honor roll Alpha Lambda sigma, After escaping the war served as a refugee nurse in Gambia and Guinea to other displaced refugees before coming to America.
In the states started in Homecare then then transition into hospital, worked in Jefferson hospital as a Registered nurse on Tele and general medsurg floor, also worked in Einstein hospital as an oncology transplant nurse , I realized that I enjoy working with patients so much and believe in quality and compassionate care one at a time dealing with an holistic approach in caring for patients and family in a familiar environment called home , I see the impact and progress when they’re home , it makes them feel relax and progress fast with recovering at home. As a nurse and entrepreneur I understand that dedication to meeting people and families needs is a priority, and able to foster relationships with family and patients that is professional and friendly to help them stay and settled home as a desire.
- Elder Care Strategies for Assisting Seniors in Shingles Recovery - December 29, 2023
- Physical Therapy at Home: How Seniors Can Maximize Benefits - December 19, 2023
- Personal Care at Home: A Guide to Senior Skin Care - December 13, 2023