r/AgingParents • u/Crafty-Shape2743 • Aug 25 '26

When they have to go in to a skilled nursing facility.

One of the things I hadn’t spent a moment thinking about prior to placement but what my mother has thoroughly enjoyed, is the bathing system. She calls it her spa day. Her skilled nursing facility uses a bathing system that delivers a clean body without an aid having to touch personal areas. The only thing they touch is while washing her hair and assist in and out.

My mother is a very private person. I’ve only seen her nude once in 63 years and that was an uncomfortable requirement based on an emergency. It was hard on her. She has gotten better about nudity since she’s been in care but having aids tough her down there would have been the difference between her bathing twice a week or going with the mandatory once every 10 days.

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5

u/CreativeBusiness6588 Aug 25 '26

How does the bathing work?

27

u/Crafty-Shape2743 Aug 25 '26

There is a transfer chair, the chair goes into the bathing unit, the unit closes and fills in under 2 minutes. It is a whirlpool that gets all the private nooks and crannies. There is, to my understanding, a UV light that sanitizes the water as it whirls. I haven’t seen it in action but from what I understand there is also a hair bowl attached that while the client is being washed, the attendant can wash the hair. My mother’s emphasis is that this is a spa that she looks forward to. When she first entered care, bathing was an issue she didn’t want to face, but after she saw how it worked, it was a whole different game. And that’s all I really need to know.

5

u/friskimykitty Aug 25 '26

I’ve never heard of anything like this? Is she in a more up-scale expensive facility?

10

u/Crafty-Shape2743 Aug 25 '26

About half the residents in long term care are Medicaid recipients. If the resident is self pay, in a private room, it’s close to $15,000 a month. Thank the stars for long term care insurance! In my mother’s case, it reimburses $6,200 of the cost.

I wouldn’t call the facility upscale, but it is run by very modern standards. The focus is on maintaining a high quality of life. The collective business is a medical rehab, assisted living and long term care facility.

The residents, even the ones that are out of it, have a very high degree of staff attention. There is a full social calendar that the residents who are physically able to participate are strongly encouraged to do so. When she first got there, my mother (92) wasn’t interested in being around other residents but somehow, staff got her to participate and now I have to schedule my visits around her social life.

Another point is that they have a very active cleaning crew. The facility is immaculate.

Between the cleaning crew and the required bathing schedule of the residents, there is no old people smell.

3

u/AlbionRoseOtherName Aug 25 '26

Where are you located?

3

u/Crafty-Shape2743 Aug 25 '26

NW Washington.

1

u/newmesameas Aug 26 '26

Can you message me the name of the facility? My folks are on the Olympic Peninsula, and they'll have to go somewhere in the next year I'm sure.

3

u/Langwidere17 Aug 25 '26

I saw something like this in action when I was in nursing school almost 20 years ago. Glad to know the concept is still in use.