10 Caregiver Tips for Caring for an Older Adult's Hair

Photo credit Cristian Newman As we age, some of the angst of youth fades, making us more relaxed about our looks. But, our hair is a big part of how we present ourselves to the world, and most of us still want to look our best. Caring for an elder's hair can be a challenge. My mother-in-law, Alice, had been going to the same beauty shop for decades. The salon was situated in a woman's home, and there were several steps that led up to the entrance. In general, the steps weren't a problem for Alice, until a fear of falling took over. She would freeze about halfway up or down the steps. We'd remain stuck in the middle, and it took a lot of prodding to get her to finish the climb up or the descent down. The whole procedure became so stressful that we made a mutual decision for me to care for her hair in her own home. I'll tell you upfront that I'm not good with hair. For the most part, I'm a minimalist. Alice had perms, but her hair still needed washing and daily curling to arrange it nicely. Over time, and with lots of humor thrown in, I did learn a few things over the years.  A Caregiver’s Tips for Caring for a Loved One’s Hair: Stay Upbeat No Matter What I said it above, but it bears repeating. Don't take it all too seriously. I once got the heated curling brush tangled in Alice's hair and was terrified I'd have to cut a chunk of hair from the back of her head. I kept my cool, joking that she would have to withhold a tip since I was taking so long. I'm n...
Source: Minding Our Elders - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Source Type: blogs