Nursing home using shaving cream for private area washing?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

This is not best practice.

Using shaving cream to wash below the waist is not a standard or recommended practice in nursing homes or healthcare settings. Shaving cream is designed for shaving and is not intended for use on sensitive or mucous membrane areas or other off-label uses.

While it's not directly linked to causing UTIs, certain ingredients in shaving creams or other soaps can potentially irritate the skin or the urinary tract, especially if the skin is already vulnerable (e.g., in older adults with delicate skin or breakdown). If not properly rinsed off, this could potentially increase the risk of infection.

Here are a few points to consider:

• Urinary tract infection risk. Multiple factors can influence UTIs in nursing home residents, including poor hygiene practices, improper wiping techniques, and skin irritation. Shaving cream, if not fully rinsed off, might contribute to skin irritation or create an environment where bacteria can thrive.
• State board regulations. Whether this practice is allowed would depend on state regulations and internal policies. Personal care products used for hygiene should align with best practices and medical guidance.
• Family complaints. If a family member has raised concerns, listening and addressing the issue promptly is essential. All care should follow best practices, and the rationale for care should be explained to the family. This practice is not defensible. It is more than likely used for staff convenience and odor reduction.
• It's a good opportunity to review care protocols and ensure that residents' hygiene needs are being met in a way that aligns with best practices and the family's expectations.

It's important to raise the concern to your facility's nursing leadership or infection control team to ensure care is delivered safely. It's also a risk issue for the facility because if a complaint is escalated to the state, it could involve a survey of all care provided.

Good for you on questioning this practice.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

 

[heron, ASN, RN]

While I've never seen shaving cream used for direct peri care, I have seen it used to remove dried-on feces from legs, buttocks, etc. Given the typical staffing levels in LTC, this is a not infrequent problem. Works like a charm and reduces the skin trauma from excessive and possibly rough scrubbing.

I've seen skin lotion used the same way. We used to toss the small bottles of facility-provided lotion in the warm wash water.

OP, while it's entirely appropriate to attend to the family's concerns, I'm curious if you've observed any adverse skin reactions that might be related to the shaving cream. Are the staff using the cream on mucus membrane or on intact skin only? What alternative products exist? At what cost? Is the facility providing those products?

Two sides to every story ...

[abbnurse]

I was not aware of this practice, until one evening ( many years ago ) ,   I entered a patient room and saw the STNA using shaving cream on a washcloth for peri care on a female patient.   

After speaking with the STNA and other STNAs that shift, it became clear that this was a practice that  had been used for quite a while; some of them seemed surprised that I was not familiar with it.  

Like heron said above, it did seem to work well on dried on feces. 

[rentalnurse, RN]

Have used it for over 30 yrs, soap is good but shaving cream gets rid of the stale urine odor from wearing briefs. It also does wonders for feces,