The Flip side- Bathing

He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame. Proverbs 10:5 NKJV

I was so blessed that my Dad's shower bench was still here from when I was his full-time caregiver. Dad now resides in a wonderful Veteran's Home where he can get the skilled nursing he needs for his Parkinson's Disease and frequent bouts of pneumonia. I, on the other hand, have become a caregivee as my husband takes care of me after I broke my heel and couldn't walk for three months.

 The shower bench is wonderful. It has a big, long plastic bench seat with legs that attach to it. Ours originally cost about $100 from a discount store. Two of the legs are in the bathtub on the opposite side of the tub. Two of the legs are on the outside of the tub touching your bathroom floor. 

 Make sure you have another adult assist you the first time you do this. That way, you can make sure you're safe and they can get any forgotten items such as a wash cloth.

 You back up to the part of the shower bench that sticks out of the tub. When you can feel it on the back of your thighs, you ease yourself down onto the bench holding onto the bench's hand grip for added support. Once you are seated, lift your legs one at a time into the tub or you can assist them with a durable piece of material you use as a sling to lift them and move them individually where you want them. (I was only able to put my non-injured leg in the tub, because my injured foot was in a cast. I tried putting it in a plastic bag a couple of times when we stayed in a hotel, but usually left the leg out of the shower at home, trying to tuck some of the shower curtain under my thigh, so I didn't get the bathroom floor so wet.)

 We were were blessed to have a dual shower system which you can buy at most stores that carry hardware supplies. If you turn the dial in one direction, you can use the traditional shower head to take a shower and wash your hair. I, on the other hand, turned the dial to use the hand held portion of the dual shower system. I turned the water on to get it to a comfortable temperature. I let the hose with the showerhead dangle down by the drain while lathering up my hair. Then, I would reach my hand out in front of me. When I felt the hose, would pull it up a little, and take the hand held shower head in my hand to rinse my hair. You would use the same process for the rest of your bathing.

 After bathing, you remove your legs from inside the tub to the outside in a similar manner to how you got them into the tub. Then, you take your nearby towel to clean up any water that may have gone onto your floor during or after your shower, so you don't slip. You move yourself from sitting on the edge of the outside of the bench to your mobility device: wheel chair, walker, crutches, transport chair etc. I used it to transition onto the toilet where I could finish drying and dress myself. Note: In between showers, I would take a sponge bath to wash down, as needed.

Since these are examples of how I've applied these Bible verses to my experience, they may not reflect the whole meaning of the verse.

I'm including You Tube Video clips on caregiving that I found interesting, inspirational, or might be helpful to others, but am not responsible for the content in the videos. Always check first with a physician before trying any suggestions mentioned.

Caregiving Video: Health Promotion and Wellness for the Elderly
By: Aging and Disability Resources via You Tube

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