The body care and skin care of people in need of care is part of everyday life in home care – day after day. Although it is not easy for some caring relatives to dedicate themselves so intimately and personally to their close relatives, most carers nevertheless like to do so, as they do not care for a stranger, but in many cases their partner or a parent. Some are more afraid of causing pain or wrongdoing to their loved ones.

You don’t have to worry about that! As is so often the case, there is one thing that helps with insecurity: nursing knowledge for caring relatives and practical tips for everyday life. In addition, experience has shown that it also helps many caring relatives if they consider how they would like to be cared for themselves. In this way, you can intuitively transfer your actions to the person in need of care.

And one thing is certain: the whole situation is not easy or often more unpleasant for your relative than it is for you as a carer, because he feels dependent and at the mercy when he can no longer carry out his own body care himself. pflege.de therefore informs you understandably about everything you need to know about the body care and skin care of your patient and how you can create a pleasant atmosphere for both parties.

Body care for people in need of care – you should pay attention to it

Body care for people in need of care is not only important for hygienic reasons. It can create closeness where, for example, language is lacking or where dementia makes communication difficult. Gentle touching during washing can alleviate anxiety and loneliness and create a sense of well-being. When caring for your loved one, consider the following:

Maintain respect

Even in difficult or tense care situations, perceive your relative in need of care as an equal partner, even if he can no longer speak or no longer knows where he is.

Take advantage of the offer of a nursing course

You need to know exactly what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. A nursing course or detailed instructions (e.g. from professional nurses) will help you. Washing your loved one (especially if he or she is in pain or has limited movement) is a task that requires knowledge that can be learned.

Talk to each other

It is difficult enough for your patient to be at the mercy of you or other family members caring for his or her own body and being dependent on others. Therefore, mindful communication is very important – both verbally and non-verbally. Patients should not suddenly feel controlled or patronized.

So that your relative in need of nursing care continues to feel taken seriously and at eye level as an interlocutor, it helps, for example, if you discuss the daily routine together or talk about yesterday or excursions together. People in need of care also feel that they are taken seriously as partners at eye level.

Practice makes perfect

Even professional caregivers must first learn the right type of body care. So don’t be disappointed if not everything runs smoothly from the beginning and take it with humor. Each time the process will work better and your loved one will get used to it. If he resists, ask him what you can change to make him feel better.

Exchange ideas with other caregivers

Almost all carers sooner or later reach their personal limits or find themselves in a situation with which they are overwhelmed. Whether for questions about special care situations or practical tips for body care, it helps many to exchange ideas with like-minded people. This means: Talk to other caregiving relatives in nursing courses or self-help groups to help each other or simply to tell them how difficult some situations are for you or how exhausted you are at the moment.

Ensure a pleasant environment when washing your loved one.

Instead of many concrete rules, here too it helps to think about what would be important to you. These includes a room and water temperature that your relative will find pleasant, closing windows and doors to maintain privacy and avoid draughts.

In many respects you can follow your intuition and will notice that you are doing a lot right even without rules! Before each step, always explain to your relative what you are going to do and which part of your body you are going to clean or apply cream on.

Tip: Only uncover the part of the body you are currently washing so that the body stays warm and your loved one feels more comfortable.