Nursing Home Let's Dementia Patient Wear Same Clothes for Eight Months and Refuses To Do Anything About It

A dementia patient has worn the same clothes for eight months, has refused to take a shower, smells really bad; and, the nursing home won't do anything about it.Our reader Margaret wrote and asked for help.My brother is in a nursing home, with dementia and refuses to go in the shower. I complained 8 months ago and they said they cannot make him do anything he does not want to do.Today 8 months later the Doctor called saying my brother has the same clothes on and still will not take a shower and the smell is so bad.Well, what do they want me to do? He is combative with me, and now they are looking for my help.By Rita Jablonski, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, FGSAAlzheimer's Reading RoomSubscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading RoomEmail:Margaret continued.I think its awful that they feel he has rights and can refuse. But yet the smell is so bad for everyone around him.8 months sleeping in the same clothes and not washing at all. I have no clue what to do.They told me he has rights, that is fine, but he does not have his mind.Why can they not get him cleaned up for his health reasons and others? Please help.How Do You Get a Dementia Patient to Stop Wearing the Same Clothes Over and Over?Our dementia expert Rita Jablonski responds.Refusals: Exercising Autonomy or “Knee-Jerk No’s”?I am appalled that the facility is calling you, the sibling, and asking you to handle your brothers ’ refusals. My immediate response would be to tell them to readARR or myblog. Wow.Autonomy is the ability to make...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: alzheimer's Alzheimer's family alzheimer's story alzheimers care Alzheimers Dementia care of dementia patients help alzheimer's help with dementia care memory care nursing home Source Type: blogs