WORKING in an intensive care unit (ICU), registered nurse Lye Hazel often witnessed patients confined to hospital beds for long periods without access to a proper bath.
One experience, in particular, stayed with her. A 20-year-old man with a brain tumour had undergone surgery and was subsequently intubated and sedated. He remained in the ICU for more than a month.
“He was very handsome, but his face and hair were very oily. This is not how a 20-year-old should look. So, we decided to ‘shower’ him,” she recalled.
“Because he had a lot of tubes and was still in an ICU bed, only limited care was possible. We, nurses, gently cleaned him using a handkerchief or wet tissues, carefully pouring water over his head and washing him with soap at the bedside.
“After wiping off the soap, he looked refreshed. From his vital signs, we also noticed his heart rate was not as fast, and his blood pressure was more stable. In the community, I think there are a lot of people who might not know the importance of showers. This inspired us to start a bedside shower service,” Hazel said.
Now, Hazel, 31, and another nurse, Lai Yun Yun, 28, are providing the service through SLife Bath after three other partners have chosen different career pathways since 2024. Hazel, who has 10 years of ICU experience, now works full-time on the business, while Yun Yun, who has seven years of experience, continues her work in a hospital in Penang while also supporting the service.
Both are from S Life Nursing Care, which also provides nursing care services such as caregiving support and wound dressing.
“We are combining our experience to restore dignity and comfort to bedridden individuals by bringing the ‘bathroom to the bedside’,” Hazel said.
The service involves placing an inflatable bathtub beneath the patient before a gentle bedside shower is carried out.
The inflatable bathtub is connected to a mobile hot water system, allowing warm bathing to be provided even in homes without water heaters.
However, introducing the concept in Malaysia has not been without challenges.
“Our first challenge was public awareness. Bedside shower services are still relatively new here, although they are more common in countries like Japan, China and Taiwan,” Yun Yun said.
“The second challenge was lack of know-how. We wasted a lot of time and money testing equipment. Eventually, we studied how it is done overseas and improvised our own method through research and social media.”
Despite the challenges, Slife Bath has expanded its services across northern states, including Penang, Kedah, Perak and Perlis, and has also reached Kuala Lumpur. The team hopes to extend its services nationwide.
Among the many cases they have handled, one palliative care experience remains deeply emotional for Hazel.
She was once contacted by a daughter whose mother’s final wish was to have a proper shower. Unfortunately, the patient passed away before the arrangement could take place.
Later, a similar request came from a family in Kuala Lumpur. This time, they managed to fulfil the wish.
“I quickly arranged with our nursing partners in KL, and they took up the challenge. They successfully showered the patient, and she was happy.
“The daughter told us, ‘We have no regrets. We did the best we could for our mother,’” Hazel said.
“That experience impacted me deeply. It reminded us that while we help families, we are also helping ourselves.”
For Yun Yun, the experience has reinforced the importance of basic hygiene care for bedridden patients.
“From our experience, a proper shower really makes a lot of difference. Just because a patient is lying in bed and not sweating does not mean they do not need to be bathed. A proper shower really makes a lot of difference. Every case has its own story, and we learn from each one,” she said.
For each bedside shower, two trained nurses are assigned to ensure patient safety. Before beginning, they explain the procedure step by step to the patient or family members. After each session, they prepare a brief nursing report detailing what was done, observations of vital signs, and any recommendations.
Each session costs RM250 and typically lasts between one and one and a half hours, though it may extend depending on the patient’s condition. Services also include wound dressing and basic grooming such as nail trimming, shaving, ear care and oral hygiene.
While SLife Bath operates as a business, the founders remain committed to accessibility.
“We provide the service free of charge for those who genuinely cannot afford it,” they said.
For more information about SLife Bath services, visit Instagram: slife.bath or contact 016-477 7804.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Muhammad Iqbal Hamdan
