What to Do When a Dementia Patient Refuses Personal Care
Why Might a Dementia Patient Refuse Personal Care at Home?
When a person is living with dementia, they can act in a way that their loved ones and carers don’t always understand, but it’s important to remain patient and to continue supporting them as you always have. If they still have mental capacity and are refusing to undertake personal care, then that is their right to do so, and they cannot be forced. It’s easy to say when not directly involved, but reasoning with them is much better than arguing or getting frustrated, as that can cause bad feelings on both sides. The Alzheimer’s Society says that while it is the person’s choice whether they keep clean and change their clothes, “you will need to make sure that they are washing enough to prevent ill health. To prevent infection, their bottom and genitals should be washed every day.” Even as a minimum, the person should be encouraged to wash these and other sensitive areas. If you’re looking for professional support with personal care and hygiene for an elderly loved one, our elderly care services can help.
What Are the Risks if a Dementia Patient Continuously Refuses Personal Care?
As with a person not living with dementia, not keeping clean is a risk to health and increases the likelihood of infection and illness. The NHS says, “Keeping yourself or someone you care for clean is essential. Poor hygiene can cause discomfort, skin complaints and infections, and can lower self-esteem.”
Someone who is living with dementia, they may already be struggling with a range of feelings and confusion about their daily life as well as not understanding people’s changing attitudes towards them. This will only become more pronounced if the people around them say things about their hygiene and lower their self-esteem even further.
How Home Carers Can Help Dementia Patients
Having a carer coming to your home will make your support feel much more personal, especially when you have a Helping Hands carer. Our amazing local teams across England and Wales ensure that our customers living with dementia are supported with every aspect of their daily routine, including encouraging their personal hygiene and changing their clothes. Our carers understand dementia and are experienced with many types, and we deliberately look to employ people who are going to help our customers retain their independence. Sometimes, it can be difficult for family members to care for their loved ones living with dementia as they’re so emotionally involved, which is why having visiting or live-in care from us can help you to regain some quality time together. Because our carers can be with you every day, they’ll soon become a trusted member of the household and will offer physical and emotional support to all the family.
Can Home Care Staff Force a Dementia Patient to Accept Personal Care?
It’s understandable that if someone is refusing personal care, it can be tempting just to take over and do it for them. But forcing someone to do something they don’t want to will erode any trust you’ve built up between you, and if that person is living with dementia, they will associate you with negative and frightening feelings and probably not be comfortable with you again. This can undo many weeks or months of a relationship that you’ve spent time carefully building up and mean that the person will have to go through the upset of getting used to a new carer in their home. It’s not acceptable to force someone to accept personal care, instead you will have to use patience and empathy to ‘get into that person’s world’ and treat them as you would wish to be treated in a similar situation.
Tips if a Loved One With Dementia is Refusing Personal Care
Dementia UK gives helpful hints on why someone may be refusing personal care, whether it’s due to confusion, lack of choice, or fear. For instance, “if they have always preferred a bath, they may be reluctant to use the shower. If using a shower, they may feel more comfortable and safer using a shower seat.” If the person is quite advanced on their dementia journey, their reality may be a much earlier stage of their life, meaning they don’t understand modern equipment or their previous choices. They may have had a pull-chain cistern on the toilet in their youth and cannot understand how to flush a modern push-button toilet, or they may be used to a bath once a week rather than the modern fixation with daily showers. Remain calm and try to see things from their point of view, but if they refuse, then don’t push the issue, diffuse the situation by distracting from the task and then try again later. Speaking to a healthcare professional or a dementia helpline offered by the Alzheimer’s Society or Dementia UK will also offer support.
Seek the Support of Dementia Care Professionals When You Need it
You shouldn’t have to struggle alone if you’re caring for a loved one living with dementia. The emotional and physical toll can mean you quickly become burnt out and other areas of your life suffer. You’ll understandably have little patience with the person and others around you as you’ll be so exhausted, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Choosing one of the UK’s expert dementia home care companies means you’ll have the support you need to continue with daily life while being confident that your loved one is receiving exceptional care in the home they love.
We’ve been offering the highest levels of care and support since we were established in 1989, offering trusted and valued home care, all fully regulated by the Care Quality Commission and the Care Inspectorate Wales. By remaining at home, all of your care can take place in familiar surroundings, with favoured possessions at hand. This also helps to regulate your routine and help your personal care routine progress smoothly.