When helping a client take a bath or shower, watch out for muscle strains and sprains from lifting, transferring, and reaching. Precautions must be taken for possible exposure to infectious diseases.

Tools

Use these things to make this work safer:

• Handrails installed for the client to use.
• A stool to sit on to keep you from reaching or bending too much.
• A shower chair to help the client bathe with less assistance.
• Disposable gloves should be worn any time there is a chance of contact with blood or body fluids. (See “Standard Precautions”____________________________)
• A hand-held shower or shower hose to make bathing easier.
• A long-handled bath brush to limit reaching.
• Folded towels or bath mats to protect your knees if you’re kneeling.
• A nonslip mat or tub strips to prevent falls or slips.

Tips

Keep all your supplies (such as shampoos, soaps) nearby so you don’t have to reach as much.

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Talk it over

You could say this: “I’ve heard that a shower chair can make taking baths much safer and easier. Some people have had luck asking their doctor for a prescription for a shower chair.” or “I’ve heard from other people that they ask their doctor for a prescription to get a shower chair. They say the chair makes taking baths much easier.”

Please check out How Caregiver and Client Should Talk to Each Other About Safety for related tips for effectively communicating your concerns to each other.

Find help

• Eldercare Locator can advise older persons and their families about equipment to help your client bathe or shower, use the toilet, and move around. This national service will connect callers to local service providers. Call 800-677-1116. Or visit: www.eldercare.gov
• Centers for Independent Living may also be able to help. Call 713-520-0232 x130, www. ilru.org.
• Medical equipment supply companies may accept a prescription from a doctor for shower chairs.
• Local drug stores and discount stores sell products that help in bathing and showering.

To make good use of the above tips, we encourage you to keep track of good ideas to make your work safer and fill out your own to do list like the one below.

To do list

Supplies needed:

• Non-slip mat or tub strips
• Handrails
• Stool
• Long-handled bath brush
• Shower chair
• Disposable gloves
• Hand-held shower or shower hose
• Other: __________________________________________

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Safety tips you will follow/New ways to do the tasks: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Issues you need to discuss: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

People or organizations to contact for help, tools, or information: _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

Building on the above to do list, you can combine them with other to do lists from the other tips in this series to create your own combined action plan for safety and keep it on hand to remind you both about staying safe.

Reference: “Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others” by Center for Disease Control’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

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