Daily care tips for the elderly

The core principle of daily care for the elderly is never to copy standardized procedures, but to take the elderly's independent wishes as the core and flexibly adjust around the four dimensions of skin care, food care, activity support, and emotional counseling. Prioritizing the quality of life of the elderly while maintaining the bottom line of safety is far more important than "achieving 100-point nursing standards."

When many people first come into contact with nursing, the first knowledge point they memorize is "the bedridden elderly should turn over every 2 hours." This is also the standard that has been used in domestic nursing textbooks for many years. However, in recent years, whether it is clinical nursing or practical operations in nursing homes, there are different voices: If the elderly person does not have high risk factors for pressure ulcers and uses a thickened pressure-reducing mattress, the interval can be lengthened to 3-4 hours, especially at night. There is no need to force the sleeping elderly person to wake up and turn over to make up for the time. On the contrary, if he does not sleep well, his immunity will decrease and he will be more likely to have problems. I previously met an 82-year-old bedridden man with cerebral infarction at a community nursing home. The nanny at home used to strictly follow the standard of turning him every two hours. He lost almost 4 pounds in half a month and his eye sockets were sunken. Later, we evaluated his skin condition and adjusted it to every four hours at night. During the day, his family members helped him move more when they were free. Within a week, the old man started to feel better after eating and no pressure ulcers appeared.

When it comes to pressure ulcers, many family members always like to use talcum powder on the elderly to absorb sweat. This is actually quite controversial. Earlier studies pointed out that talcum powder containing talcum powder may increase the risk of cancer. Now our industry recommends using a soft cotton towel dipped in warm water to gently Press the sweat away from the skin folds, especially the neck, groin, and buttocks. Do not rub it back and forth. The elderly have thin skin and are prone to infection if it is rubbed. If it is already a little red, a thin layer of zinc oxide ointment is enough. It is more effective than any home remedy.

In addition to skin problems, eating is the most troublesome thing for many family members. They always think of supplementing nutrition for the elderly, stewing chicken soup and making thick soup. In fact, most elderly people have weak digestive function, and thick soup is full of fat and purine, which will increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. There are also many elderly people with diabetes, and their family members are eager to hide all sweet things. I met a 78-year-old Grandpa Li before. He has been diabetic for more than 20 years, and his family would not even let him touch the watermelon rind. Later, we discussed with his family members and gave him one or two spoonfuls of sandy pulp watermelon between meals. After eating, his blood sugar was measured half an hour later. As long as it did not exceed 11mmol/L, he would be fine. During that time, Grandpa Li looked forward to eating those two bites of watermelon every day, and he talked a lot. In fact, you really don’t need to be too strict about the elderly’s mouth. As long as you control the amount and eat whatever you want, your mood will be as effective as any tonic.

Let’s talk about going out for activities. Many family members are afraid that the elderly will fall, so they either don’t let them go out, or they cover their homes with anti-slip strips and anti-slip mats. Instead, they forget that many elderly people have weak legs and feet, and the height of their feet is not high enough. The edges of the anti-slip mats can easily trip people. We met a family before when we were doing home assessment. Three spliced anti-slip mats were laid in the living room. On the first day after being discharged from the hospital, the old man tripped over the edge of the mat and sprained his foot. In fact, it really doesn’t need to be so complicated. Just lay a whole piece of anti-slip mat in the place where he often walks. Okay, press all the corners. If the elderly have bad knees, buy a walker with a seat. Walk downstairs for 10 minutes every day. When you are tired, sit down and bask in the sun. Even if you don't walk, going down and chatting with the old neighbor is better than staying at home every day.

There is another point that many people tend to overlook, which is the emotion and dignity of the elderly. For example, there are always two opinions in the industry on whether to use adult diapers. One group advocates not using them if possible to prevent the elderly from feeling ashamed. The other group believes that if the elderly urinate frequently and get up frequently at night and are prone to falling, there is no problem if they are used appropriately. My own experience is that whether to use it or not, you have to discuss it with the elderly first. Don't just put it on. You can tell him, "Let's wear this at night. We don't have to run back and forth to the toilet. It's not worth the fall. Let's just take it off and go to the toilet during the day. Okay?" Most elderly people can accept it. In addition, don’t always treat the elderly as “patients who need to be taken care of.” Occasionally, let them help you pass things or pick vegetables. Even if they are slow, it is better than not letting them do anything. There is an 86-year-old Grandma Wang in our post station. She used to say that she was “useless and a trouble for her children.” Later, we asked her to help tape the handmade flowers. She comes to the inn early every day and works very seriously. Now everyone says that she can still “work” to earn small gifts.

In fact, after working in elderly care for so long, my biggest feeling is that there is no one-size-fits-all technique, whether it is online strategies or doctors' suggestions, it is better to observe and observe the reaction of your own elderly: don't force him to wipe himself when he doesn't want to, don't force him to take a bite of something sweet, and don't urge him to exercise when he wants to sit by the window and bask in the sun. In the final analysis, nursing is all about "going with it". His comfort and happiness are more important than any standard.