Privacy is the private space that may be shared with someone else only with the person’s consent. It is “our personal space,” as many like to describe it. Privacy is what belongs to the innermost nature of every human being. The right to privacy concerns a person’s home, romantic life, family life, religious practices, health, and lifestyle habits. More specifically, privacy often refers to the human body—that is, physical privacy, which may sometimes be violated by people around an older adult with reduced mobility or loss of autonomy. It may seem difficult to respect the privacy of someone who needs care that requires intimate parts of the body to be exposed and that evokes feelings of great vulnerability. When you are a caregiver helping an older adult with dressing and bathing, it is essential to take the right actions and show empathy and respect.

Establishing Good Communication with the Older Adult

When you are the caregiver of a person experiencing loss of autonomy, it is important to know their preferences, habits, and the actions they do not accept. To understand their reluctance, you must consider what the person may have experienced: difficult events, a complicated romantic relationship, family problems, or a very puritanical upbringing can all cause an older adult to feel anxious or even frightened at the thought of being in a vulnerable situation. The gentleness of touch, respect conveyed through eye contact, and the tone of voice, for example, can foster trust or create discomfort. It is important to converse frequently with the older adult and ask questions about their tastes, preferences, and concerns. Their answers and instinctive reactions will be a good guide for adjusting the care provided to meet their needs.

Do Not Disrupt the Older Adult’s Living Environment

Even when experiencing loss of autonomy, an older adult who still lives at home needs to retain control over as many habits as possible, and deciding how their environment is arranged is one of them. Suggesting ideas to make the environment safer without doing a major cleanup without their consent—and especially avoiding rummaging through their personal belongings, even if they give permission—is essential. For more intimate tasks, such as dressing and bathing, always pay attention to details such as closing the door during care or looking away if they are using a commode chair, for example, and above all, give them time to carry out their daily activities without stress.

Establish Reassuring Rituals and Use Calming Gestures

Establishing rituals helps reduce embarrassment and encourages respect for the modesty of people experiencing loss of autonomy. Intimate hygiene and bathing are the most delicate steps for both the caregiver and the person receiving care. Several methods can be suggested to help them feel confident, such as the warm towel bath method or the use of pre-moistened washcloths. Besides being practical, these methods have a soothing and relaxing effect on a person experiencing loss of autonomy. Providing care at the same time every day according to their preference also becomes a very important part of the ritual. The most important thing is to always ensure that the older adult feels comfortable. The caregiver’s attitude and actions often make all the difference, especially in more complicated situations where the older adult is also experiencing the onset of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Hygienic.com, which specializes in selling products designed to support older adults living at home, offers a complete range of suitable products on its website that make daily bathing and hygiene easier in cases of loss of autonomy and contribute to their comfort and independence.