So how does a pleasurable shower become a burden for physically impaired people and their caregivers?
Shower Angst for Seniors
Let’s suppose you’re caring for an elderly woman, Mildred, who has rheumatoid arthritis. Her knees are swollen, toes are gnarled, and her joints don’t cooperate when she wants to move. Pain and stiffness make her unstable. While she used to step into a shower with ease, she now makes that move with trepidation. Mildred has slipped on the wet floor in the past. She didn’t tell anyone, but she ended up a little bruised—physically and emotionally. She has friends who have been whisked off to an assisted living center after such an episode, and to Mildred, that’s a scary prospect.
Maybe you’re ready to help Mildred take a shower. This alleviates some of Mildred’s fears, but brings up another anxiety--giving up her privacy. She finds it demeaning not only to remove her clothes publicly, but also to let you clean her most intimate areas.
Caring Conundrums
You, the caregiver, want to help. That’s just who you are. But when it comes down to it, you have some concerns too. (At least you should!) First, when you transfer Mildred into the shower, you have to do everything perfectly to avoid the risk of back injury: use your legs as levers, keep Mildred close to you, balance with your feet apart, turn your whole body when needed, and wear comfy, non-slip shoes. To add discomfort to danger, inevitably, when you transfer Mildred back out of the shower, you end up soaking wet yourself.
