The Basin Is Sized to the Bed and Your Arms: Set a Sponge-Bath Station That Fits the Room You Have

Sponge bathing at the bedside is one of the most repeated jobs in a home hospice room, and one of the least planned. Most families reach for a basin from the kitchen, kneel beside the bed, and discover by the third day that the basin is too low, the towels are on the wrong side, and the water has gone cold. A few measurements at the start prevent most of that.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Measure the bed, then your arms

Set the bed to the height at which the person washing can stand with a relaxed back and reach the mattress without leaning. Measure from the floor to the top of the mattress at that height. Then measure the height of the surface you plan to use for the basin, such as a bedside table, a rolling tray, or a stool. The basin should let the person washing keep their elbows near their sides and their wrists at a comfortable angle. If the basin is much lower than the mattress, you will bend. If it is much higher, you will reach. Test it by filling the basin halfway and lifting it from the surface to the bed and back.

Choose the basin by reach

A basin should be wide enough to hold a washcloth and a cup of rinse water without slopping, and light enough to lift with one hand while the other hand is busy. Choose one that is easy to empty and does not need to be carried across the room full. Two basins, one for wash water and one for rinse, are easier to manage than one basin refilled again and again. Pick the basin that fits the surface you measured, not the one that is simply closest to the sink.

The water path

Walk the route from the tap or the bathroom sink to the bed. Count the steps, note the doorways, and note every corner. If the trip is long, carry water in a covered jug and fill it before you enter the room. Ask who empties the used water, where it goes, and whether that route crosses the room where the person sleeps. Test the water temperature on the inside of your own wrist before you start, and let the tap run until it is the temperature you want. Do not rely on memory of the last time you filled the basin.

Supplies within reach

Set out the washcloths, towels, soap, and clean clothing on the same side of the bed before you begin, in the order you will use them. Keep a lidded bin or bag for used cloths and a separate place for clean ones. Keep a blanket close enough to cover the person at once, so they are not left uncovered while you look for something. Decide who carries the used cloths to the laundry and when.

Name who sets it up and who clears it

Decide who sets up the station each time and who clears it afterward. A hired aide or companion may do the washing as part of their hours, but the setup, the water, and the clean-up belong to whoever is named on the family's list. Write the measurements on a card with the bed's height setting, and note which basin, tray, or stool you chose and why. The next person can then repeat the setup without guessing.

The bath is one part of the room. For the rest of the sickroom, Start Here sets out the order in which to work.