Page 8 - Tale of Transformation

Bathing at Our Facility
Watch this section of the Introduction a second time, and then answer these questions and discuss in your team. Each topic could take a meeting or more to thoroughly discuss.
Choice – Discuss and detail the bathing process at the facility. Do we use assignment sheets? Do the residents really get to choose what time they get a bath? What if they want a bath when someone else already has that time slot? Do they choose between a bath and shower?
(Knocks on the door)
CNA: Ready for your bath Betty? Betty: I just got back from breakfast. CNA: We’ll make it quick.
Betty: I like my bath at night.
CNA: But this is your time. What if all the residents wanted their bath at night -- nobody would go to bed on time.
Betty: I don’t want anyone seeing me naked going down that hall.
CNA: You know I won’t let that happen, you’ll be wearing your gown.
Betty: I don’t like that gown, it’s cold.
CNA: Well, How about we do it today and next time we’ll see if we can get it switched.
Betty: That’s what the other girl said last week -- Well, let’s get it over with – this is D day!
CNA: Doomsday? I understand, we all have days that feel like that.
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Pleasure – What would make the bathing experience pleasurable for a resident? Is the physical environment conducive to a pleasurable bath? Are there simple changes that we could make to make the bathing room more homey?
Privacy – Do residents ever express concerns about privacy? Do you feel uncomfortable about privacy when you put yourself in the residents’ shoes? Are residents moved down hallways in towels or bath gowns? Discuss and list ways that we work to guard privacy and ways that elders have no privacy. Consider bathing, dressing, toileting, intimacy, visiting, as well as any other privacy issues that you can consider.
For further study on these topics review the book and video:
“Bathing without a Battle,” by Ann Louise Barrick, PhD, Joanne Rader, MN, RN, FAAN, Beverly Hoeffer, DNSc, RN, FAAN, and Philip D. Sloane and the article “Homelessness” by Judith Carboni. To locate these resources and others, see inside back cover of this workbook.