Bathing assistance is
an essential component of caregiving, given especially to clients who
are not able to do it independently. The caregiver makes it a point to
provide the hygiene needs of the client whether he performs the bath or
the client himself does it. In general, there are two types of bath,
namely cleansing and therapeutic; and the type of bath performed depends
on the self-care abilities of the client.
This type of bath refers to routine care given to
clients for their personal hygiene. There are 5 kinds of cleansing
baths, and these are shower, self-help bath, partial bath, tub bath, bed
bath, and complete bed bath.
1. Shower bath is
mainly for ambulatory clients who are still capable of taking a bath
independently. Those with some physical limitations are recommended to
use a water-resistant chair while taking a shower. The caregiver may
provide some bathing assistance with this type of bath.
2. Self-help bath is
for clients who are confined to a bed. With this type of bath, all that
the caregiver needs to do is prepare the bath equipment and provides
assistance in cleansing hard to reach areas such as the feet, legs, back
and external genitalia.
3. With partial bath,
the caregiver gives assistance in washing only those areas that might
cause irritation or odor such as the hands, face, and genitals.
4. With tub baths, the caregiver provides
bathing assistance to clients with physical limitations while going
into and out of the tub. It is also the responsibility of the caregiver
to ensure that the water temperature is safe enough for his client.
5. When administering a complete bed bath, the caregiver assists clients by washing his entire body.
In order to administer a therapeutic bath to a client, caregivers
are required to have a physician’s order or care plan. This order will
indicate the type of bath to administer, the body surface that needs
treatment, water temperature, and the kind of medication solution
needed. Therapeutic baths often last from 20-30 minutes inside a tub and
can be categorized as hot or warm bath, cool bath, soak bath, and Sitz
bath.
1. The hot or warm bath, which is done inside the tub aims at reducing soreness, muscle spasms and tension.
2. The purpose of the cool bath, which is also performed in the tub is to relieve tension and reduce body temperature in order to avoid chilling.
3. Soak bath is administered
using medicated or plain water to relieve pain, swelling and irritation
or get rid of dead skin tissues.
4. Sitz bath is done to reduce inflammation and cleanse the extra genital and anal areas.
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