Q6: washing and bathing

List the aids and appliances you use to help you wash or bathe, including things like grab rails and long-handled sponges. 

Never miss any aids off your list because you think it's obvious, and always:

• explain how they help you

• explain what would happen if you didn’t use them

• make it clear whether a health professional advised you to use them

• include any that your condition prevents you from using

Make it clear if you need help but don’t get it.

If you do get help, say who helps you (for example, carer or friend) and explain:

• why they help you

• how they help, for example they might help you wash specific parts of your body

• how often they help

Make it clear if you need them to:

• remind you to wash or bathe

• physically help you wash specific parts of your body (remember to say which parts, for example above the waist)

• help all of the time or just sometimes or say if it's too difficult to predict

• supervise you - for example to make sure you don't slip in the bath

• be on hand in case of emergency - for example, if you wouldn’t be able to hear a fire alarm while bathing because you’re Deaf or have hearing loss

Always explain what happens (or would happen) if you don’t get help. For example:

• you're more likely to have an accident or injury

• you're more likely to experience physical or mental symptoms like pain, discomfort or tiredness

• it's more likely to take you twice as long to wash or bathe as someone without your condition

Explain if you have ever:

• slipped or fallen when getting in or out of the bath or shower

• been unaware of danger, for example you don’t check the temperature of the water before getting in the bath or shower

• had side effects from your medication that make you feel dizzy or drowsy and make it dangerous for you to wash or bathe

Make it clear if these problems happened because:

• you didn’t get help or supervision

• your have trouble concentrating

• you get confused

You should also say if you think this could happen in the future. You should mention:

• how often a risk happens, even if it doesn’t happen regularly

• how badly you could be harmed

• whether there’s anything you can do to prevent it happening

For example, you might have seizures that happen rarely but can start at any time with no warning. There's nothing you can do to prepare yourself and if one happened while you were bathing you could hurt yourself badly.  

Think about whether it takes you at least twice as long to wash or bathe as someone without your condition.

Try to explain how long it takes. It's ok to estimate but say if you are. If it's too hard to estimate explain why - for example, because your condition fluctuates.

Remember to:

• include the time it takes to get in and out of the bath or shower

• explain if it takes you even longer on a bad day

Explain how you cope on both good days and bad days and how you manage over a longer period of time (like a week). This gives the DWP a better picture of how you cope most of the time. 

Make it clear:

• if you have good days and bad days

• how often you have bad days

• if you have bad days more often than not

• how your difficulties and symptoms differ on good days and bad days

Explain whether the difficulties you have washing and bathing cause you any physical or mental symptoms (like pain, discomfort, breathlessness, tiredness or lack of motivation).  

It's helpful to explain the symptoms and give an example including:

• how often you have them

• how long they last

• if they're likely to increase the risk of an accident

• if they affect your ability to carry out any of the other activities on your PIP claim form