CARING FOR A SICK PERSON AT HOME: KEEP THE PATIENT CLEAN AND NEAT
by admin Posted in General health
Being clean and neat contributes to the patient’s well-being, but be guided by what the doctor suggests rather than by a fanatical desire for cleanliness.
The patient’s hair should be combed once or twice a day. If the hair is long and matted, applying a little alcohol usually helps. Comb small strands of hair at a time, holding tight to the strand above the part being combed. Long hair should be braided.
Rubbing the patient’s back once or twice a day usually makes him feel better and is good for the skin. Use methylated spirits or talcum powder if desired, and rub with long, gentle, but firm, strokes.
The doctor will let the patient go to the toilet at least once a day unless it will actually endanger his health. A patient who is not able to walk to the bathroom may be permitted to use a home-made toilet improvised from an old kitchen chair by cutting a hole in the seat and fastening a chamber pot under it.
A male patient can probably use a urinal without much assistance if it is placed on a towel beside him under the covers. Warm the urinal first by putting it on or near the radiator, or by rinsing it with hot water and drying it quickly just before you bring it to him.
A bed-pan should also be warmed in the same way. Most patients can raise themselves, or help to raise themselves, on to it by flexing their knees and pressing with their heels and the palms of their hands on the mattress. Place the bed-pan under the patient’s buttocks, the flattened end of it just below the hipbones.
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