eva lawrenceSocial Worker and blog author It offers us a series of indications to correctly carry out the toilet of people in a situation of dependency, both in the bathtub or shower and in the bed itself.Toilet for dependent people in bathtub or shower
- A bathroom warm or hot improves skin circulation and blood supply. It also produces a feeling of well-being and considerably improves mood. You should not stay in the water for more than 20 minutes.
- The shower is more stimulating than the bathroom. Cold water applied for a short period of time interspersed with hot water produces vasodilation and perspiration, cleaning the sweat ducts and glands and providing a pleasant sensation.
- Showering is recommended only for people capable of stand up and balance over a period of time.
- It is recommended, whenever possible, alternate toilet in bath and shower, that is, if 5 complete toilets are carried out per week for the person you care for, you must ensure that 3 are showers and 2 baths. So the benefits will be much greater.
- prepare the lighting and temperature the bathroom and the water. The bathroom will be kept between 20 and 24 degrees and the water will be around 38-40 degrees, depending on personal taste.
- Place in advance material that will be needed. It is advisable not to make the person wait and take him to the bathroom when everything is ready.
- place the protection measures necessary: rubber in the shower to avoid slipping, mat outside to support your feet, chair to sit in the bathtub, etc. If he can collaborate when it comes to undressing, dressing, soaping, rinsing, let him do it to maintain his abilities; just explain, supervise and support.
- Lather each part of the body with neutral soap to avoid irritation or dry skin and rinse thoroughly.
- Clean up following a determined order: from the areas where the dirt is less to those where it is more, starting with the face, neck, arms and leaving the genital area, buttocks, head…
- Dry offaffecting the skin folds and risk areas to avoid infections due to humidity (abdomen, under the breasts, groin …)
- Examine the skin carefully in case there is redness, irritation or any injury or alteration that calls your attention.
- Regardless of its degree of autonomy, the door should not be bolted or leave the dependent person alone at home while cleaning. In fact, it is convenient to be with him or approach him from time to time to see how he is and if he needs help.
Toilet for dependent people in bed
Bed cleaning is carried out when the person due to their illness and/or degree of dependency cannot move and it is not possible to replace this impossibility with means or technical aids.
Interesting this video-tutorial «Bed-ridden hygiene» of the San Juan de Dios Hospital
And this other of Government of Aragon
- Prepare the material, the usual one for the toilet, jugs and basins with quite hot water since it will cool down and oilcloth or large towels to protect the bed. Leave everything near the bed and ensure that the room temperature is adequate and there are no drafts.
- protect the mattress with a waterproof cover so that it does not absorb moisture.
- try at all times keep person covered to respect your privacy and avoid colds; discover only the area that we are washing.
- Use a container for soapy water and another for rinse water. change the water as many times as necessary, and always do it when washing the genital area.
- Remove the bedding, place the person on their back (supine position) and undress softly and no sudden movements.
- Lather one area, rinse and dry, leaving it covered with a dry towel.
- washing order: eyes, face, neck and shoulders, hands, arms and armpits, thorax and breasts, abdomen, legs and feet, back and buttocks, genital region.
- rinse well soap because when it remains on the body for a while, it dries out the skin and can cause itching.
- The parts of the body that allow it, such as the hands and feet, should be introduced and washed inside a basin with warm water. Bend the person’s leg, place a towel on the bed and the basin on top. Introduce the foot checking that it is firmly supported on the bottom. Let the foot soak while you wash the rest of the leg.
- when washing The arms and the legs They must move according to the person’s ability. Passive exercise prevents the appearance of contractures and improves blood circulation.
- In the women, focus in a special way on the area under the chest, drying it well. In the abdomen it is necessary to pay special attention to the inguinal spaces.
- If the dependent person can sit on the beda, the neck will be washed from the back and the back. If you can’t, you have to turn it on its side and proceed to clean it.
- For cleaning the genital area place the wedge under the gluteal region. In women, emphasis will be placed on the labia majora and minora and the anus. You have to wash from top to bottom in the following order: pubis, inner thighs, genital area, anus and inter-gluteal fold. In men, insist on the inguinal folds, scrotum, and retract the foreskin to clean the glans, ending with the anus.
- In people with incontinence and that they use a diaper, it is advisable to use a barrier cream at the end of the toilet (it forms a protective barrier on the skin) in areas exposed to humidity.
- Finally I know hydrates the skin with a massage:
– Perform on well rinsed and very dry skin. The person will be on their side or if possible face down.
– Pour body moisturizer and with outstretched hands, exerting pressure on the skin, slide along the spine to the shoulders, making circular movements.
– Next, slide your hands down on both sides of the spine and massage the gluteal region with circular movements.
– Continue applying cream to other areas: face, hands and feet, arms, etc.
– The massage will last approximately 10 minutes.
About the author: eva lawrence
eva lawrence She is a Social Worker and a large part of her working life and training have revolved around caring for the elderly and people with functional diversity in a situation of dependency, who needed the help of a caregiver, this being, in most cases, of his family environment.
He also has knowledge and experience in other areas in which a social worker can carry out his work (employment guidance, women, immigration, family, minors…). Currently she is looking for a job and has decided that there is no better way to spend her time than helping others through her blog.