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Help! My husband refuses to shower. It’s been 2 weeks now.

Caregivers: Dementia | Last Active: May 21 9:45pm | Replies (47)
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@deniseheart

I am going through the same issue with my mom who is in assisted living. I scheduled a wash and blow dry every two weeks for her and she is enjoying her time with the hairdresser. Before her move to assisted living, it would be six months or more before she would wash her hair let alone take a shower and bath. We haven't been able to get her to shower on a regular basis but we are slowly working on this. As far as changing her clothing, that is an ongoing issue. Wearing the same outfit for a month or more is not uncommon. It isn't worth the aggravation and stress to argue about it. You just have to pick your fights, and clothing is just not worth it.

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Replies to "I am going through the same issue with my mom who is in assisted living. I..."
cheryl16 | @cheryl16 | May 4 8:24am

So comforting to know how common this is and that it’s not the end of the world.

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pamela78 | @pamela78 | May 4 8:27am

My husband looks like a homeless person. He wears the same clothes most days, ragged jeans and shoes that are coming apart. Sometimes I can get him to wear something decent if we're going out to dinner or something. He also won't cut his hair or beard. He looks like a wild man. All of this has really been getting to me, but these comments help me see that I should just let it go. As long as he doesn't smell bad, what difference does it make? I expect that in the next few years we're going to see lots of disheveled, elderly people shuffling around our neighborhoods and stores. Neighbors should perhaps be told the situation so they don't freak out or misunderstand what's going on. With so many baby boomers, there will come a day when most people will have some experience with dotty elders.

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