Daily care tips for the elderly

Follow the actual needs of the elderly, don't add extra burdens to him, block foreseeable risks in advance, and make flexible adjustments to the rest. There is no need to rigidly follow the standardized strategies on the Internet.

I have worked as an auxiliary nurse in a community nursing home for three years, and I have seen too many examples of children following online strategies, which in turn made the elderly uncomfortable. Let’s talk about bathing. The 78-year-old Aunt Zhang who was taking care of her before was always told by her children that elderly people should pay attention to hygiene and forced her to wash her once a day. As a result, her skin was so dry and flaky that she was so itchy that she couldn’t sleep all night. Later, we adjusted it to once every three days in spring and autumn and once a week in winter. She applied unscented moisturizing body lotion after each wash. Within half a month, her sleep was mostly improved. There are actually different care ideas here: most dermatologists recommend that elderly people who are active independently should not bathe more than twice a week to avoid damaging the sebum film on the surface of the skin, while the nursing school for long-term bedridden elderly requires cleaning and wiping the body every day to avoid breeding bacteria and causing bedsores. In fact, the two do not conflict at all. Whether and how frequently they can wash depends on the physical condition and personal habits of the elderly. As long as the skin is not red, itchy, or smelly, there is no need to impose a strict frequency.

Oh, yes, don’t just think about keeping warm when buying clothes. Many children buy thick velvet pullover sweaters for the elderly, which are very difficult to put on and take off. If the elderly find it troublesome, they will refuse to change clothes for ten days and a half, which is not hygienic. It is better to buy a few more thin knitted sweaters with front buttons and a close-fitting thermal vest underneath. They are easy to change and even the elderly are willing to wear them.

The most stubborn person I have ever met is 72-year-old Uncle Li, who has type 2 diabetes and won’t let his children touch anything sweet. As a result, Uncle Li secretly hid a drawer of fruit candies and ate them when no one was home. The sudden high and low blood sugar made it even more dangerous. Later, we discussed with the nutritionist and gave him a daily quota of 10g of sweets, either a small piece of peach cake as a snack in the afternoon, or half a rock candy orange, and presented it to him openly. Instead, he stopped hiding it secretly. His blood sugar has stabilized a lot, and he is much more cheerful. The academic community does require diabetics to strictly control their sugar, but we who work as front-line nurses all know that emotions have a much greater impact on blood sugar than that one bite of sweets. There is really no need to be too stuck. Flexible adjustment will be more effective.

There are also many pitfalls in anti-falling. Many children have to drill holes in their homes to install handrails. Most elderly people think that their homes look like hospitals and refuse to live or die. In fact, there are nail-free anti-slip handrails that can be adsorbed on the ceramic tiles and can be removed when not in use. They are also very beautiful and can be accepted by most elderly people. Also, don’t buy the thick-soled cotton slippers with heel. They look warm. In fact, it’s difficult for the elderly to lift their feet and they can easily trip. Instead, buy non-slip slippers with wide openings and thin soles. They cost more than ten yuan a pair and are much more practical than health shoes worth hundreds of yuan. Don’t buy the nice-looking short-pile floor mats at home, as they will slip when you step on them. Instead, buy rough mats with anti-slip particles on the back and place them at the door or bathroom door.

The tips for using medicine are also simple. Don’t always buy the kind of layered medicine boxes. Many elderly people have poor eyesight and cannot remember which grid corresponds to which day’s medicine. Instead, they are prone to taking the wrong medicine. Just put the medicine he needs to take in the morning, lunch and evening with sticky notes on the milk carton he usually drinks for breakfast, the rice bowl for lunch, and the teapot for making tea at dinner. He will be able to see it as soon as he picks it up, and he will never forget it. We also regularly clean the medicine boxes for the elderly. Many elderly people are reluctant to throw away expired medicines and keep taking them after two or three years, which may lead to problems.

By the way, there is another little thing that many people don’t pay attention to. Don’t cut the nails of the elderly too short, especially the toenails. Cutting them too harshly can easily lead to ingrown toenails, which will cause pain and make them unable to walk. Many elderly people walk with a limp, either because they have leg problems or their nails are broken.

Also, I really don’t want to help the elderly with all the work. There used to be an Aunt Chen who could walk on her own, but her children were always afraid of her falling and had to support her wherever she went. As a result, within half a year, the aunt didn’t dare to take steps on her own, and her muscle strength deteriorated very quickly. In fact, as long as you keep an eye on him, let him go if he can go on his own, let him serve his own food if he can, and don't stop him if he can fold his own clothes and wipe the table. He will feel that he is still useful and that he will be in a good mood, which is more effective than any number of tonics he takes.

To be honest, there is really no universal formula for caring for the elderly. Every elderly person has a different temperament and a different physical condition. Those neatly listed 1, 2, 3, and 4 strategies on the Internet can only be used as a reference at most. The most effective technique is actually to squat down more often and listen to the old man what he wants. Don't always force him to do something he doesn't want in the name of "I'm doing it for your own good." This is better than any fancy technique.