11 Tips for Bathing a Person Living with Dementia

Strategies for creating calm and comfort during bath time

By Valerie Feurich, Positive Approach to Care Team Member

Do you care for a person living with Alzheimers disease or another form of dementia? Has bath time been a struggle for you both?

It’s easy to understand why that may be. All of your adult life you have bathed or showered in privacy, using a routine that fits your personal preferences best.

Now imagine someone else trying to undress and bathe you. How would you feel?

For most people, bathing is a highly personal matter, and that likely will not change if the person is living with dementia.

To help you make bathing a little less stressful for you both, here is a list of 11 practical tips you may want to try:

1. Consider their preferences:

When living independently, did the person you are caring for prefer to take a bath or a shower? Did they prefer to wash up early in the morning or in the evening? And which toiletries did they like to use?