Are you constantly worrying about how to make your bedridden parent/loved one feel more comfortable? Do you often wonder if there’s something more you could be doing to ease their physical and emotional pain?
Caring for bedridden elderly at home, especially if its a parent who once cared for you, is a role that demands immense patience and compassion. It’s a challenging journey that few truly understands, to be able to stand by a bedside for hours and hours at a stretch taking cues from their silent distress and denial is not everyone’s cup of tea.
This guide provides simple yet effective ways to make a bedridden person more comfortable in bed, both physically and emotionally. With these little tips, you maybe be able to ensure your loved one feels supported, and truly cared for.
Understanding the Needs of Bedridden Patients
To provide comfort, for many, is simply providing with all that a person needs physically, but this isn’t all. Emotional well being is a major part of providing comfort and raising the quality of life for a bedridden person. People who are confined to bed for longer periods are usually found facing commonplace challenges, like bedsores, stiffness, or even emotional problems like boredom and loneliness than a regular patient. Recognizing these issues at proper time helps caregivers to offer thoughtful care.
Tips for Understanding a bedridden person better:
- Observe cosely for any signs of discomfort or restlessness.
- Keep them entertained with light doable activities or engaging hobbies like reading a book or talking about their favorite memories.
- Maintain casual open conversations to help them feel supported and heard.
Common challenges associated with bed-ridden patients
- Bed Sores or painful pressure ulcers from prolonged immobility.
- Emotional distress due to isolation and limited activity.
- Back Pain from lying in one position for too long.
- Disturbed sleeping patterns that usually results in fatigue and irritability.
- Loss of Appetite that is food may seem tasteless, reducing interest in eating.
- Muscle Weakness due to Lack of considerable movement.
How to prevent bedsores and ensure skin health for a bedridden person?
Bedsores (or pressure ulcers) are painful and common among bedridden patients due to prolonged pressure on certain body parts. Proper bedridden patient care at home can help prevent these sores, reducing infection risks. Here are a few tips for Bedsore prevention and management:
- Try out changing the patient’s position, ideally every two hours to relieve pressure on vulnerable areas like the back, hips, and heels.
- Use pillows or specially designed wedges for support.
- Keep the skin clean and moisturized. Conduct daily skin checks and use doctor-recommended creams to protect sensitive areas.
- Adequate water intake and a balanced diet can help them keep hydrated and reduce the chances of sores.
- Invest in quality bedding, like memory foam or an air mattress, which helps distribute weight more evenly and reduces pressure on sensitive areas.
- A gentle massage not only helps improve blood flow but also relieves soreness from staying in one position for long periods.
How to Care for a Bedridden Patient: Essential Tips and Bed Positioning Techniques
Here’s a little guide for bedridden patient care with necessary positioning techniques to keep them comfortable and safe.
1. Prepare the Bed with a Slide Sheet
A slide sheet, also known as a drawsheet, makes positioning a lot more easier. You can make one from a regular twin-sized top sheet folded in half if you don’t have a dedicated slide sheet. Roll the patient to one side, place the sheet snugly along their back, roll them back over it, and spread the sheet out flat. This simple setup helps you move them gently, without unnecessary strain on their skin.
2. Enlist a ‘Lift Buddy’
Handling someone in bed alone can be difficult, so having a helper is ideal. This could be a family member or friend who is able-bodied and strong enough to help reposition the patient. With two people, you can carefully shift the patient without causing harm or discomfort.
3. Move the Patient Up the Bed Safely
To shift a patient up in bed, both caregivers should stand on opposite sides, and grip the slide sheet at the patient’s back and hips. Use your body weight to pull rather than lifting, and avoid pulling them by the arms, which can cause shoulder injury. If they’ll remain on their back, lift the bed’s foot section or place a pillow under their knees to prevent sliding down, reducing the risk of pressure sores.
4. Position the Heels to ‘Float’
The heels are vulnerable to bedsores due to prolonged contact with the bed surface. Place a pillow under the ankles, ensuring the heels are “floating” just above the pillow. This adjustment takes pressure off the heels and facilitates better comfort and circulation.
5. Turn the Patient Regularly
Rotate the patient’s position every two hours to prevent sores, alternating between their back, right side, and left side. When positioning on their side, place a pillow behind their back for support and another pillow between their knees to align the spine and prevent pressure on the knees and ankles. This routine not only prevents pressure ulcers but keeps them feeling more comfortable and supported.
6. Use Pillows for Arm and Head Comfort
Positioning pillows under the head and arms helps ease tension. When lying on their side, use a pillow to prop the arm they’re lying on, which prevents it from being compressed.
These steps furnish a gentle, effective way for a bedridden patient care. By thoughtfully positioning and readjusting, you’re helping them stay in comfort and safety.
Personal Hygiene and Emotional Well-being of a bedridden person
Personal hygiene and emotional well being is vital to a patient’s comfort and well-being, particularly for bedridden individuals who may feel less in control of their daily routines.
- Personal hygiene: Personal hygiene is what keeps most bedridden patients moving forward as they are otherwise less in control of their daily routines. Hygiene care doesn’t just help with cleanliness; it fosters a sense of dignity and self-respect.
- Creating a Routine: A predictable care routine provides comfort and a sense of normalcy. Keep personal care items nearby and use adaptive clothing if required, as it’s designed for easy dressing and undressing.
- Emotional Support and Entertainment: Encourage family and friends to visit or engage the patient with activities like reading, listening to audiobooks, or watching favorite shows. Patients feeling connected to loved ones are often more comfortable and content.
When to Consider Professional Help and Additional Support for a bedridden patient?
At times, the caregiving requirements may exceed what you’re able to provide alone. A home health care agency in Ontario like Medicare, providing one on-one home care in Canada, can offer additional assistance, helping to manage the more demanding aspects of in-home elderly care. Professional caregivers can also relieve some pressure from family members, ensuring patients receive well-rounded care and attention.
- Benefits of Professional Support: Home care professionals are trained in specific techniques, such as physical therapy for bed-bound patients and handling home care for bedridden patients. Their expertise can ease concerns about complex procedures like safe lifting or handling bedsores.
Considering professional help can provide both the caregiver and the patient with peace of mind, knowing that skilled support is available.
Final Thoughts
Home care for bedridden patients requires compassion, patience, and a willingness to adapt. By focusing on comfort, hygiene, emotional support, and proper bed management, caregivers can make a significant difference in the lives of their loved ones. Remember, you don’t have to do it alone—reach out to professionals when needed, and prioritize self-care as well. After all, a well-supported caregiver makes for a happier, more comfortable patient.
