New bathing glove eases hygiene tasks

Hygiene products manufacturer SCA, maker of the well-known Tena incontinence products, has introduced a disposable bathing glove to make hygiene time easier for caregivers and their residents.

The Tena Bathing Glove is touted as the first pre-moistened, disposable bathing glove in the United States designed specifically for skilled nursing and home care settings, where many residents have bathing and skin care challenges.

With fragile senior skin in mind, the glove combines a soft, padded glove with a soap-free, pH-neutral cleanser. Since no rinsing is needed, caregivers can skip the bedside basins. Once the bathing task is done, the glove is discarded—eliminating cross-contamination risks. The glove shape helps caregivers use the whole surface of their hand for cleaning, instead of just the fingertips, as often happens with disposable sheets/boxed wipes.

A bathing glove that doesn’t require water and can be heated for extra comfort also could help caregivers who grapple with another one of senior care’s big hygiene challenges: bathing residents who have dementia, who often become agitated around noisy showers and resist being under running water.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.