Managing your loved ones at home could be a bit tricky.
You have to be both considerate about fastest recovery, minimize risk of injury to the patient, provide all basic comforts, avoid stress / fatigue for self!
Providing basic hygiene. Right nutritious diet. Medication done timely. Self checks, diagnostics. Constant check on the condition from patient. Create a calm/serene atmosphere. Avoid patient feeling isolated, while you enjoy gossip / TV.
Ok! Those all are most basic expectations. Easier said than done. We will present systematic preparedness to deal with such situation in a most structured way, so as to both allow easy, fast recovery of patient as also minimal fatigue to the attending family & their daily life.
Hygiene
Bed Sores
The patient needs for a bed are not as simple as a home bed. No. It would require a bit of homework based on the ailment and needs. While a doctor would be best placed to suggest, you could call Healthy Jeena Sikho experts to get good advice. They have over 20-variations on Hospital beds for various needs for best comfort of the patient. Getting hospital bed on rent is a simple process and choosing the right one great for patient comfort and recovery.
Depending on the condition, commode bed, a reclining bed operated via remote, for low height needs, special beds exists. For physiotherapy needs, for helping in sitting, it does help a great deal.
Natural requirement, but you could be stressed no end. In case of fracture, complete bedridden condition, assistance for taking to washroom, ensuring injury free access to toilet. And be aware, in doing so, avoid own fatigue and injury too. So how to manage? Well all aids are available at extremely low cost on rental, in your city, delivered to your place, in matter of few hours. You have Healthy Jeena Sikho providing it in most cities of North India, but there indeed would be other providers. From commode in the bed, commode wheelchair, commode raiser, walker, its all these small things that could go a long way in easy management.
Obviously, patient needs to be fed and in all likely hood, not possible to get to the dining table. Without straining the back for the attendant or the patient, how do you do that? Getting a Over the Bed table, yes the same that's used at hospitals, could be the easiest solution. And you don't need to bother about the cost too much. Over the bed table on rent is available for as low as Rs 700 per month. For long term need, you could actually buy it.
Make it convenient, for constant need to sit to take medicine. Don't take this lightly. In large number of cases, choking of medicine happen and with age, swallowing process is naturally compromised. Beware. Half recline, just neck lift and all such things can prove very costly. Avoid at any cost. Hopefully, with the right choice of hospital bed, manual or electric, you already have equipped yourself with easy sitting posture for the patient. If not, depending on the need and frequency, please go for remote operated electric bed. Don't worry if you done have enough space at home for extra bed, there are interesting solutions available for fitting these on top of home bed.
Healing is a state of mind. Empowerment is one key thing. The sheer feeling of being suddenly dependent, makes one crib. We all aspire to be free birds and all need me time. Building on this basic human need, it's important to impart that Freedom to patient. That comes with simple things like, when one wants to sit, recline, watch say TV, read book etc. These things can be achieved by renting out a motorised hospital bed /electric bed operated by remote. Quality of life would be elevated for patient and would lead to faster recovery with empowerment.
6. Hygiene
There would be many things which be quite a mess. A patient in bed with ailment needs to be treated like a kid of age 1. From simple washroom habit to eating to all things on the bed. It would be all mess. Be prepared and life would be so much more relaxed. Get handful of things out of
a. Adult Diapers
b. Disposable bed sheets
c. Bed Pan / Urine Pot
d. Latex Gloves
e. Wet wipes Towels - anti-bacterial for washing needs
f. Disposable bags
7. Bed Sores
Long lying down creates a very disturbing pain area for the patient. Bed sores! Yes, it would happen to anyone and it must be understood, how many hours is the patient going to lie-down in a day. Keep the room well ventilated, air circulation done well. If the condition requires more than 10 hours of continuous lying down in a day or more than 20-hours in a day, its important to get a Air Mattress. This would really help avoid bed sores.
Getting the patient to go around the house is important to break the monotony of lying at one single place, leading to helplessness & despair. You would require mobility aids for same from simple walker, walking stick , Rollator or a wheelchair. All these items are today available on easy rental plans. Be careful while transferring the patient from the bed to wheelchair.
During initial recovery time, you would be required to take the patient to the hospital, frequently. Make sure you are equipped with right tools to move the patient from bed to car and further on. While most hospitals do have wheelchair at reception, large one are too busy or may be unhygienic. You could get a wheelchair on rent for this purpose and while waiting too, wheelchair would be the best place to have patient sit on. Remember to get a folding wheelchair and one which go into the boot of your car.
However care we may give, there would be cases, when no-one may be around the patient. In such scenarios, its best to have a Call-bell placed next to patient for any emergency need.
In-fact call-bell is a simple way to empower the patient, that you are around, even if no physically present. Peace of mind is an extremely non-negotiable thing for the patient.