Singing In The Shower

When you have any form of dementia, everday things sometimes become a challenge. It seems that the latest challenge for my friend Mary in Canada has become the shower. The sound of the water and the feel of it on her skin causes a uncomfortable feeling. This often happens with dementia and bathing becomes a fearful time. Mary, being the creative person that she is has decided that ear plugs work well for her as they dull the sound of the shower and therefore reduce the dread. Additionally, she has discovered that sitting on a shower seat and offering one limb at a time to the shower gods is a good way to get around this challenge as well.

Those of us with dementia must constantly come up with extrordinary ways to get through what used to be ordinary days. This has become the challenge of our existence. We aren't complaining about it - we just must constantly compare notes with others in the same boat and come up with alternatives that will work.

My hats off to Mary for inventing the new HOKEY POKEY SHOWER. In her honor, I offer the beginning of a new song for her to sing when showering. Since she will be wearing her ear plugs, she won't hear it anyway but perhaps her husband will want to move to a far away place in their home as I understand she cannot carry a tune.

Hokey Pokey Shower

You put your right arm in
You take your right arm out
You put your right arm in
And you scrub it all about
You do the Hokey Pokey
And you rinse it as you shout
That's what it's all about

Now repeat with each body part, remove ear plugs and you are good to go!

Love you Mary!