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- Giving Up the Guns When a Family Member Has Alzheimer’s
- Care Management Program Is Reducing Need for Anti-anxiety Medication and Visits to the Hospital/Emergency Room
- Talking to a Loved One With Alzheimer’s
- 10 Powerful Ways to Commemorate Alzheimer’s Awareness Month
- Making the Most of Mealtimes for People With Alzheimer’s
- Family Members Provide 100 Hours a Month of Unpaid Care for Alzheimer’s
- Alzheimer’s Caregivers Should Be Screened for Depression
- Alzheimer’s Care Costs Far More Than Heart Disease or Cancer Care
- Obesity at Midlife May Speed Alzheimer’s Onset
- Hello from my mom
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- Inflammation May Spur the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
- High Blood Pressure of Pregnancy Tied to Late-Life Dementia
- Heart Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Share Genetic Links
- Widely Used Office Dementia Tests Are Often Inaccurate
- Heart Rhythm Disorder, A-Fib, Tied to Dementia Risk
- Daytime Sleepiness Tied to Alzheimer’s Brain Changes
- Stress May Affect Memory and Brain Size
- Memory and Thinking Skills May Wane in Winter Months
- High Blood Pressure at Age 50 Tied to Dementia Later in Life
- High Fat, High Sugar Diet Tied to Alzheimer’s Brain Changes
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- Experimental Drug, Fails to Benefit Alzheimer’s Patients
- New Drug Shows Promise for Alzheimer’s
- Pain Relievers Present Special Hazards in People With Alzheimer’s Disease
- Care Management Program Is Reducing Need for Anti-anxiety Medication and Visits to the Hospital/Emergency Room
- Music May Ease the Anxiety of Alzheimer’s
- Experimental Alzheimer’s Drug, Intepirdine, Disappoints in Study
- An Eye Scan for Alzheimer’s?
- Drug to treat Alzheimer’s is Ranked Highest
- Patients Often Fail to Adhere to Alzheimer’s Drug Schedules
- Could Treatments for Diabetes Help Treat Alzheimer’s?
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- Foods for Brain Health? Try Leafy Greens, Red and Orange Veggies, Berries and Orange Juice
- To Drive or Not to Drive? Questions to Ask
- Exercise May Prevent Falls in Those with Alzheimer’s Disease
- The Driving and Car Key Dilemma of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Healthier Heart, Healthier Brain
- 2 Hours a Week of Exercise Can Boost Brain Health
- ‘Exergames,’ Which Combine Exercise and Games, May Benefit Brain Health
- Eat Fish, Fruit, Vegetables and Nuts for Brain Health
- Beet Compound Shows Promise Against Alzheimer’s
- A Single Night of Not Sleeping Tied to Alzheimer’s Brain Changes
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- Scientists get a ‘total surprise’ and a promising new clue for how to cure Alzheimer’s
- Some 44 Million People Have Alzheimer’s Worldwide
- Nearly 14 Million Americans Will Have Alzheimer’s Disease by 2060
- Alzheimer’s Rates Could Double in Coming Decades
- Combining Care Program With Medication Reduces Alzheimer’s Symptoms By 750%
- Fisher Center Scientists make two new Significant Discoveries in the battle against Alzheimer’s
- Dementia Rates Are Slowing, but Alzheimer’s Cases Continue to Rise
- Fisher Center Scientists Create a Novel Imaging Technology Allowing the 3D Visualization of Brain Defects That Cause Alzheimer’s Disease
- Negative Beliefs About Aging Could Prime the Brain for Alzheimer’s
- Recognizing Faces Is a Challenge for Those With Alzheimer’s
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- Fisher Center For Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Wins Fall 2018 Digital Health Awards®
- Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Earns Gold Seal of Transparency from GuideStar
- The Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation Earns Coveted 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator for the 7th Consecutive Year
- Hear Kent Karosen, President and CEO of the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, describe his new book and the power of art therapy
- Fisher Center Scientists link a Mutation That Protects Against the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease
- Newly Inducted Into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Shaquille O’Neal, Joins the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation to Raise Funds for Groundbreaking Research in the Quest for a Cure
- Pat Summitt, legendary women’s basketball coach, dies at 64
- Celebrating the life of Nancy Reagan for her Impact on the Fight to end Alzheimer’s
- WRNN Interview
- Fisher Center’s 20th Anniversary Celebration and recent activities
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Bathing Alzheimer’s Patients – TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Carole Larkin, a geriatric care manager for ThirdAge Services, knows that many caregivers want to “pull their hair out” when giving baths to Alzheimer’s patients. While some people with Alzheimer’s disease don’t mind bathing, it can be a frightening, confusing experience for others. But there are certain strategies caregivers can use to minimize frustration for both patient and caregiver.
“Doctors recommend older adults shower or bathe a minimum of twice a week to reduce the chance of infection, especially urinary tract infections in women,” says Larkin, who trains caregivers in home care companies, nursing homes and memory care communities. “If you can get them to bathe more, kudos to you. If not, be satisfied with twice a week, unless another medical condition demands more frequent bathing.”
Larkin offers these tips to help caregivers overcome the ordeals of bathing:
- Make it seem as if the request is just a routine part of daily life as in, “It’s Tuesday morning. We always take our bath on Tuesday morning. Let’s go get cleaned up, and then I’ll make you a nice breakfast.”
- Follow up on the positive reinforcements so that your loved one gets rewarded for complying. Doing this as part of a regular routine ingrains the behavior you want replicated. It might take some practice, but it can be done. Always praise and compliment them after the bathing is done.
- If there is no other way to get them to bathe, ask their doctor to write on a prescription pad something like: “Mr. So-and-So needs to bathe two times a week for infection control.” Make several copies of the prescription (in case they tear it up). Show the prescription to them and say, “Doctor’s orders.”
- Some people are extremely modest. Be aware that this may be their reason for saying “NO.” Respect their dignity by allowing them to cover up with something while in the shower. Perhaps a towel or a sheet or even a poncho. Just wash under whatever they use to cover up.
Caregivers should involve the patient in the bathing process. Larkin suggests that caregivers have the patient try to wash themselves first, no matter how well they do. That gives them ownership of the task and something they can succeed at.
“If they can do a credible job on their own with just reminders from you to wash here and there, let them do that,” she says. “Even if all they can do is hold a washcloth while you do everything else, let them do that. At least they are participating in the task as much as they can.”
The same goes for hair washing and drying.
“Allow them to do as much as they can, even if you have to go back over what they have done,” she says.
Above all else, caregivers must remember that safety comes first. “There need to be grab bars positioned for them to hold onto, while getting in and while bathing,” she says. “And there need to be appliqués on the shower or tub floor to give them traction under their feet.”
If the patient is unsteady on his or her feet, caregivers should feel free to use a shower chair. Not only can it help calm a fearful patient, the chair gives the caregiver a steady place for the patient to sit while being washed. See some of Larkin’s other ideas and tips about Alzheimer’s caregiving at www.alzheimersreadingroom.com.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) suggests that advance planning can help make bath time better for both the caregiver and the Alzheimer’s patient:
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Plan the bath or shower for the time of day when the person is most calm and agreeable. Be consistent. Try to develop a routine.
- Respect the fact that bathing is scary and uncomfortable for some people with Alzheimer’s. Be gentle and respectful. Be patient and calm.
- Tell the person what you are going to do, step by step, and allow him or her to do as much as possible.
- Prepare in advance. Make sure you have everything you need ready and in the bathroom before beginning. Draw the bath ahead of time.
- Be sensitive to the temperature. Warm up the room beforehand, if necessary, and keep extra towels and a robe nearby. Test the water temperature before beginning the bath or shower.
- Minimize safety risks by using a handheld shower head, shower bench, grab bars and nonskid bath mats. Never leave the person alone in the bath or shower.
- Try a sponge bath. Bathing may not be necessary every day. A sponge bath can be effective between showers or baths.