Gait Belt in the Shower?

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Hi all,

This is my first post, although I've been reading this blog for a while. I have maybe a stupid question that I can't seem to find an answer to. I am a student nurse and new home health CNA. My client needs assistance with showering and transferring and is sometimes unsteady on his feet. We use a shower chair with a solid bottom (no hole in it), so to complete peri care, the client stands up for a minute or two. When I was trained to work with him, the other CNA did not use a gait belt or put shoes on when he was standing for that part since he's in the shower with no clothes and it's just a minute or two, but I get really nervous about falls when he's standing like that with nothing to grab if he falls and nothing on his feet to help prevent slips. I've been told gait belts should only go over clothing, but if I put a shirt on, then his shirt will get soaked. He also doesn't have a pair of shower shoes, so if I put his regular shoes on (which he wears all day), they'll get soaked.

Anyone dealt with a similar situation? What did you do?

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

I have never used a gait belt in the shower. Does the shower not have a grab-bar he can use to support himself while standing? How is he getting into and out of the shower?

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Shower chairs or commode seats with cut-out seats are cheap. Or have him wash his peri area on the commode before he showers.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

I can't comment on the professional standard of care, but having recently taken care of my daughter and mother following orthopedic surgeries, I definitely used their gait belts in the shower. I had to have a way of keeping ahold of them in the slippery confines of the shower, and had no other options to use.

Unless your client has unusually delicate skin, I can't see any harm in doing this to prevent (or at least safely manage) a fall.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

Get your supervisor's input.

If your agency has a policy, you need to be doing whatever your agency states, not whatever strangers on the internet say.

My question is, how are you going to hold a gait belt while performing pericare???

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

I've never seen or heard of using a gait belt in the shower. Is the patient steady enough to stand with a grab bar? Would a second person assisting allow for pericare? Could pericare be completed as a sponge bath in bed? Or while sitting or standing with the normal commode? Could a shower chair with hole be acquired for this patient? There are several different ways this issue could be addressed. Check facility policy and/or management as to best practice for your facility.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Moved to the CNA forum.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Does he have a grab bar in the shower? If not a PT/OT eval is in order. I would also discuss your concerns with the RN and see if they have any ideas.

In the meantime, what about having him wear Aqua Socks in the shower? If you haven't seen these, it's a pair of nylon slippers with treads. The upper covers most of the foot so they should stay on securely, and the soles would give him some traction.

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I've been a CNA for almost 3 years and have never seen gait belt used. Anywhere. I guess it's just not a thing in the hospital i work for. Showers should have bar to hold on to. I'd have them stand up and hold on to it while i clean the down below. Its only gonna take a minute and the chair is right behind them if they need to sit down. I have my foot in front of pts as they stand up so they can brace against it. Sometimes they have plastic bag taped around their leg to cover a dressing then it gets very slippery but i just do the same thing with my foot. Yet to have any problems and i do ~7 showers a day for 5 days a week.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

A therapy consult is definitely in order to help arrange for some bathtub/shower assistive devices. There's catalogues galore and community DME providers that carry items.

Going thru the right channels can also possibly help cover various costs where poss.

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I've never used a gait belt in the shower and never seen it done. I agree with the others in saying that if there is no grab bar, the situation needs to be evaluated for the pt's safety. As far as them possibly slipping, I suggest a small bathing mat (relatively cheap) or even a hand towel so they can get a bit of traction against the slippery shower floor.

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