Bathing for Older People - Part I

The fundamental purpose of bathing is to maintain health and physical well being of the body. While most young, able-bodied people do not think twice about taking bath, bathing is more difficult, more time consuming and more hazardous for older people, especially for older people with disabilities. The Gallup organization in 1983 surveyed 1,500 non-institutionalized people over the age of 55. "Using shower or tub" was one of the sixteen problem areas identified for maintaining activities of daily living. The magnitude of problems older people experience while bathing and the seriousness of the situation raises many important questions. Why do they continue to bathe? How difficult is it for older people to bathe? How safe is bathing for older persons with disabilities? Why do older people bathe in unsafe conditions?


Physiologically, bathing allows cleansing of the skin and removal of accumulated foreign matter. Bathing displaces dead skin, prevents irritations and rashes that would otherwise transform into infections, and washes away waste materials that can interfere with the normal functioning of the skin. Bathing allows people to: 1) maintain acceptable social standards of cleanliness, both appearance and olfactory and 2) refresh, revive, and relax through the washing process.


Bathing, like all forms of body cleansing activities, is habitual and ritualistic. It is laden with social, psychological and philosophical overtones. Philosophically, bathing is equated with cleanliness of body and purity of soul, and it reflects aptly in the popular phrase, "Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness." People's obsession to maintain a clean body is well known. Americans take at least seven baths a week. The rising sale of deodorants, anti-perspirants, and mouth washes supports the social emphasis for maintaining a clean body, and it reflects the cultural and aesthetic spirit of the society (Kira, 1966).


The Magnitude of the Problem


Accidental Deaths

Advocates of bathroom safety are astounded by the high incidence of bathing-related deaths. ABT Associates Inc.'s report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1975 indicated that many as 70 persons over the age of 65 die of bathtub-related burn injuries every year. According to the National Safety Council, one person dies everyday from using bathtub/shower in the United States. Of the 24,000 accidental deaths of people over the age of 65 every year, many are bathing related (Burdman, 1986). The National Safety Council reported that 345 people of all ages died in bathtubs in 1989, 364 in 1988, and 348 in 1987. Bathtub related deaths during the three-year period exceeded those due to handgun accidents, all forms of road vehicles accidents (excluding motor vehicles), ladders and scaffolding falls, and ignition of clothing. Because bathtub related deaths occur suddenly and in a supposedly protective environment, these deaths tend to cause a greater degree of psychological trauma for the families.

After the swimming pool, the bathtub is the second major site of drowning in the home. Budnick and Ross (1985) studied bathtub-related drowning between 1979-1981. They concluded those those with least control over their environments - young and the elderly -have the greatest risk of drowning. Children less than 5 years old accounted for 25 percent, and those over the age of 75, 15.5 percent of the bathtub-related deaths. Drowning deaths, for those over the age of 60, were primarily due to having fallen in the tub.


George E. Bentley, Esq. is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, and known nationally as the "Consumer's Advocate and Attorney." He is the leading expert on walk-in bathtubs, ADA guidelines and independent living issues in the US, and author of "The Ultimate Guide to Buying Walk-in Bathtubs". They can be reached by email at George@BentleyBaths.com or phone at 800-688-0055. The company website is http://www.BentleyBaths.com.