When it comes to helping older adults remain in their homes, bathing can be a challenging issue. But Tessa Lamb of Home Instead Senior Care of Manassas and Herndon has found those concerns can be overcome with the right combination of compassion and experience.

Lamb has been working with seniors since 1996, as long as she’s been a licensed practical nurse. During that time, she realized there are identifiable, key issues that impact bath time. By recognizing and addressing these concerns, home care providers can help their clients age with greater hope and success.

Respecting privacy and independence

Over the years, Lamb has worked with seniors aged 65 up to “the beautiful young age” of 96 who wanted to age in place. That taught her the value of having a good relationship with her clients, she said.

“They all cherish their independence,” she said. “Getting into and out of a shower can be difficult as we age and become less flexible. Many times requiring the standby assistance of a home health aid can be very daunting.”

At the same time, privacy is a key concern for clients. “They have been taking care of themselves for over 60 or more years and now someone needs to help them shower,” she explained. “This can be both frustrating and embarrassing.”

Neither giving nor receiving this kind of care is easy. That’s why cultivating a positive relationship is crucial to protect the dignity of those receiving care, as well as to enhance the quality of life for both seniors and their families throughout the caregiving experience.

Recognizing changes in sensory perception

As people age, the acuteness of the senses decreases, and that can have ramifications for both the person who is bathing and the person who is helping with the process. For example, Lamb pointed out, the ears serve two purposes – hearing and maintaining balance – so the loss of sensitivity affects balance as well as hearing. That can have a significant impact when it comes to bath time.

“If your balance is off, you are not going to want to go onto a wet, slippery surface,” she said.

The same holds true when it comes to vision loss. “The bathroom is a major fall risk area, and thus a very scary place for seniors,” Lamb explained.

Other senses also come into play. When the sense of touch changes, it can result in decreased temperature sensitivity. That means it can be difficult to tell the difference between water that is cool or cold and water that is hot or warm.

When the sense of smell is lessened, seniors might not be able to smell the odor of their body when they have not taken a shower in several days or weeks. Understanding these changes in sensory perception and how they affect a person’s ability or willingness to bathe can help offset concerns a senior may have when it comes to bath time.

Accounting for fatigue or dementia

Another factor that can impact the bathing process is the fatigue that can accompany many of the medical conditions or illnesses that seniors may develop. Even medications can cause people to become tired easily.

Helping bathe clients with dementia and memory impairment requires particular care, Lamb said. “It is very, very important to establish a rapport, trust and a relationship with them before any major task can be performed,” she explained. “Consistency is also key because of the short-term memory loss.”

In Lamb’s experience, a little bit of empathy goes a long way when it comes to overcoming the challenges surrounding bath time. “I recommend that you show seniors love, kindness, patience, respect – and allow them time,” she said. “Give them choices.”

Perhaps a client isn’t up to a bath at a particular moment. That’s when a caregiver should offer alternatives, such as a sponge bath, a warm face cloth, a chair bath or even a bed bath. The bottom line is that there are many options. A good caregiver will understand and offer alternatives, while also respecting the client’s concerns.

“There is also the option of ‘just not today,’” Lamb said. “It is more important to establish a relationship and build trust first than try to obtain the goal of a bath.”

For more information on Home Instead Senior Care in Manassas and to sign up for their newsletter with other helpful articles, visit their website.

From an email:

Manassas, VA- The Prince William Chamber of Commerce will host their annual Cuisine de Commerce on Thursday, November 2 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. in the parking lot of the Chamber’s building at 9720 Capital Court near the Manassas Airport.

This year the event transforms from a luncheon into an outdoor food festival; complete with live music by classic rock cover band Type A, cornhole boards and all-you-can-eat samples from the area’s best restaurants, caterers and food trucks. Those attending should bring a donation of non-perishable foods. Burke & Herbert Bank is sponsoring a food drive at Cuisine de Commerce with donations benefitting the ACTS food pantry in Dumfries.

The entire community is invited to Cuisine de Commerce. Tickets are priced at $20 per person or $300 for a block of 20 tickets (for businesses who want to send the entire team). Prices go up at the gate. Each ticket comes with a souvenir cup. For more information or to purchase event tickets, visit PWchamber.org or call the Prince William Chamber of Commerce at 703-368-6600.

Entertainment at Cuisine de Commerce is sponsored by Wegmans of Gainesville. Discovery Publications is the Community Partner.

Participating food providers to-date include:

· Lil' Bowl Authentic Thai & Japanese Cuisine
· Cakes by Happy Eatery
· Best Western Battlefield Inn
· Eggspectation
· Mariachis Tequileria & Restaurant
· Krispy Kreme
· The Inn at Vint Hill
· Chick fil-A Bristow
· Red Lobster
· Layla's Lebanese Restaurant
· Uptown Alley
· Heart 2 Heart Catering
· Wegmans-Gainesville
· Marcos Pizza
· The Bone Food Truck
· Cakes by Shelby Food Truck
...with more to come!

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From Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative:

MANASSAS, Va. – Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative's group of employee volunteers, NOVEC HELPS, will hold its 7th annual Texas Hold'em fundraising poker tournament on Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Prince William County Police Association Hall, 14288 Independent Hill Drive, Manassas. Registration starts at 5:30 p.m. Games start at 6:30 p.m. The top 10 players will win prizes and other participants will win door prizes. Fee: $50 per player if registered before Oct. 20; $60 at the door.

NOVEC HELPS will give net proceeds to charitable, community, and school organizations supported by HELPS. Groups include: the American Red Cross, Easter Seals, ACTS, Northern Virginia Family Service, Britepath, and Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center.

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From Puzzle Palooza:

We are very excited to be opening our second location in Manassas at 9411 Main St. Suite 101, the Trusler Hall Building, next to Philly Tavern. Our goal is to be open at 10 AM Monday morning November 13. We will be spending the entire weekend moving in and setting up shop. We will be open seven days a week starting at 10 AM till 7 pm M-F, with later hours in the evening on weekends.

As with their initial space, we will be featuring Puzzles and Puzzle accessories, books, brain teasers and puzzle games from four pieces to 40,000 pieces ranging from ages toddler to elderly. We started our first location in Occoquan 2013 and have watched it grow over the past five years into our own little empire.

We are listed as # 1 in “Things to Do in Occoquan” on Trip Advisor and feel honored and proud of the support from customers and the community. Puzzle building Is a common hobby/love for us since childhood and after visiting several out-of-state Puzzle/hobby shops, we knew that it was what we wanted to do. We quickly learned that it reconstituted the ideal framework of “family fun” and supported longtime traditions.

We considered branching out for the past six months to cover more territory to other cities that weren’t close to Occoquan. When we found the Manassas location, we knew it was the right thing to do.

We are very excited to be starting this as we enter the holiday season and hope everyone that visits finds that perfect gift!

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From Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department:

Woodbridge, VA September 12, 2017 —In September 1938, the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department was officially incorporated. It was two years of hard work for a group of concerned citizens who recognized the need for a Fire Department in the area. Many of them put up personal property and their own money to secure loans to build a building to house the apparatus and start the department. Sometimes they had to “pass the hat” to pay electric and other bills monthly.

Before OWL VFD the closest Fire Departments were in Alexandria, Manassas and Fredericksburg.  The first OWL VFD station was in the Town of Occoquan on the corner of Washington and Mill Street, Station 2 in PWC. From there they built a building that is now the VFW in Occoquan. In 1958 they opened a second Station on Route 1, Station 12 (later relocated to Montgomery Avenue.) From there, OWL moved from the Town of Occoquan to the current Station 2 on F Street, and opened up Lake Ridge Station 14.

OWL VFD’s continued success is because of the foresight and hard work of those who built the foundation and the dedication and commitment of our members who serve today.  “Even from our humble beginnings, OWL VFD has historically strategically planned for disaster events, keeping up on the latest training, equipment and education available.” said President Hehr. “OWL VFD invests thousands of hours in professional training and certification courses. Our care and dedication to Fire and Rescue is reflected in our efforts of staying up to date and ready for the task.”

“OWL has a rich history tradition of creating a family atmosphere while mentoring our members into a variety of professional services” said Chief McAllister. “We honor the past by preparing for the future. We are always looking for new members, both experienced in fire and rescue, and those who are coachable and have a passion to serve their community.”

OWL VFD is one of the largest and busiest volunteer fire and rescue departments in the United States. OWL VFD provides fire suppression, EMS care, and rescue services to 80,000 residents in our 27 square mile area. OWL volunteer Firefighters and EMTs work the 6 pm to 6 am shift, five days a week, plus 24 hours on holidays and weekends.

For more information on OWL VFD, visit www.owlvfd.org  or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/owlvfd