Using the towel bath to give tender care in dementia: a case example.
Using the "towel" bath to clean the skin for such residents as Helen results in a reduction of agitation and an increase in comfort as the skin is cleansed. The "towel" bath is a very useful technique which should be incorporated into educational training programs for any care provider who will be working with persons with dementia. It is a procedure that can be adapted to the care of the most challenging resident and will help staff begin to display person-centred care for the resident who is afraid of care procedures and responds negatively as a result. The procedure itself addresses the issues of water temperature and privacy in a way that traditional basin bathing makes difficult. The "towel" bath should be included in the practice repertoire and used on a regular basis by all practitioners who work in this area of geriatric specialty.
Martin
L S
LS
Shalom Village Nursing Home, Hamilton, Ontario.
Morden
P
P
McDowell
C
C
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D001494:Baths / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing*; D001512:Bedding and Linens; D005260:Female; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment