Improper Grooming for Connecticut Nursing Home Residents

If your loved one has a hard time doing things for themselves in their old age, they should receive the help they need. One thing that makes everyone feel better is proper grooming. When someone looks good and is clean, they feel good about themselves. Having proper grooming will make your loved one feel comfortable. It will keep their sense of self-worth intact. But, in a nursing home, improper grooming may lead to abuse. Knowing the proper ways of grooming could help you prevent any abuse for your loved one.

Basic Grooming

Having the ability to get up in the morning and get dressed and ready for the day can be important for your loved one. They might like to have a regular morning routine that they know they can do every day. If they are not capable of doing it on their own, getting help from the staff in the home might be good for them. If they can count on someone every morning to help them get ready, they will feel better.
A common morning routine for a nursing home resident is to wake up and have someone help with tasks. They have help using the bathroom and bathing. Then they get help beginning their grooming routine. This usually includes brushing and styling their hair, brushing their teeth, and dressing. This may be a big deal for someone in a nursing home because it is a constant thing that they can count on every morning. Having a part of the day that is consistent will allow your loved one to look forward to something each day.

Grooming Abuse

When your loved one depends on someone else to help them, there is going to be a risk of neglect and abuse. Getting help with grooming can be frustrating for the staff member and your loved one. It seems like grooming should be something simple that anyone should be able to do no matter how old they are. Some staff members might not understand your loved one’s condition. They might not think that they need as much help as they do. This could make the staff member angry and be rough on your loved one. Some instances of grooming abuse have been:

• Brushing hair so hard that hair gets ripped out or head gets scratched to the point of blood.
• Brushing teeth too hard and harming gums.
• Not dressing residents in clothes appropriate for the season and weather.
• Neglecting to groom at all.

Getting proper grooming can be a big deal for your loved one in a nursing home. Making sure that the home you choose will give the proper grooming should be important. You should find out what the home’s procedures are for grooming the residents. Having this information will make it easier for you to make the decision of where to leave your loved one.