Harriett Jones has spent almost four decades calmly steering residents through bathing times, keeping plenty of warm towels handy or singing to soothe an anxious bather. Although she maintains eye contact throughout the process, Jones also keeps an eye on safety in the spa room.
Given an increasingly ambulatory population, the presence of water and the kind of warm and moist environment that invites bacteria to breed, risk is inherent in bathing areas. It takes careful strategy, attention to detail and smart use of equipment to deliver a sanitary and satisfying bath while preventing accidents that could leave residents or staff injured.
At Levindale Hebrew Hospital and Nursing Center in Baltimore, Jones’ job is made easier because staff members pair up for every single transfer, whether they’re using a Hoyer lift to get someone from bed to a shared bathing area or doing a slide transfer to a shower bed. “It’s not really a hard part of the job,” says Jones, who works the evening shift on Levindale’s Golden Hill unit, home to approximately 50 residents. “I feel wonderful that I can do this for them. We always talk to them, talk them through the shower, which part of the body we’re cleaning [and] asking them if it’s OK to move on.”
Approximately 80% of falls among older adults happen in bathrooms, according to the National Institute on Aging. Even in congregate communities that control for variables such as poor lighting and uneven surfaces, danger suddenly can appear in places it never has before — or in residents who always have seemed ready and willing to take a shower.
Some residents may become agitated due to dementia or other cognitive impairment, and conditions ranging from diabetes to a new hypertension medication could increase fall risk overnight.
Drains should flow freely so excess water doesn’t pool at residents’ or staff members’ feet. Staff members also should be wearing non-skid shoes. As a secondary technique of preventing water from leaving the shower area, Levindale aides roll resident chairs onto oversized, flat towels, catching any water dripping from a resident’s hair or elsewhere before they head back.
