Whether it’s short-term or long-term, caring for a bedridden elderly loved one requires some extra care techniques to ensure that they stay healthy and are comfortable. Being bedridden means that your loved one spends the majority of his waking and sleeping hours in bed so that part of the home becomes his entire world.
Five Steps for the Best Care for Your Bedridden Loved One
- Create a Place He Enjoys. Your loved one’s mental health depends upon him feeling safe, welcome, and connected to the world around him, even if it’s just one room. If your loved one is not staying in a room that is normally his own, make sure to bring in items that he has emotional connections with. It might be photos of family members, objects he collects, or artwork that he enjoys. If he has a pet, find accommodations for that pet to be able to visit him easily.
- Provide a Well-balanced Diet. Check with a nutritionist about which foods will best help your loved one stay healthy and heal. They might have new calorie allotments your loved one should have or recommend different foods that will help his digestive tract stay regular when he’s not able to move around a lot. Remember to provide plenty of water to sip on so that he stays hydrated.
- Continue with Good Grooming Practices. Just because he isn’t going out, doesn’t mean your loved one shouldn’t still look his best. Clean hair, brushed teeth, new clothes each day, and regular bathing not only help him stay healthy, but it’s important for his mental well-being as well. Looking good can improve self-image and self-worth, which in turn can help his body heal quicker by reducing stress and depression.
- Change Bed Linens Regularly. Since your loved one might be enjoying meals and most of his day in bed, his bed linens can get dirty and begin to smell much more quickly than normal. Talk to your loved one about what kind of fabric is most comfortable and provide plenty of blankets and throws so that he can make adjustments during the day when he feels warm or cold.
- Check for bedsores. Bedsores occur when continuous pressure on a part of the body begins to break down the skin and create a sore. They can be painful and uncomfortable and if not addressed immediately, may become infected. Regular repositioning can help prevent bedsores as well as regular inspection of his body.
Personal Care at Home Providers Can Assist in the Care of a Bedridden Loved One
Taking care of a loved one who is bedridden can seem overwhelming to a caregiver. A personal care at home provider can provide relief to the caregiver by helping with care tasks such as grooming tasks. A personal care at home provider may help with shaving, styling hair, or applying lotion to dry areas of the skin. They can also help with bedsore prevention by checking areas prone to bedsores for any signs of distress. As a caregiver, it is important that you take care of your own health as well so that you can care for your loved one. A personal care at home provider can bring relief to you so that you’ll be able to manage the care of not only your loved one, but yourself.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home in Lincoln, NE, please contact the caring staff at Caretech today at (402) 697-5121
Caretech provides the best care services for seniors and families throughout Nebraska including Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Grand Island, Kearney, Fremont, Norfolk, Hastings, Columbus, Papillon, North Platte, La Vista, Scottsbluff, South Sioux City, Beatrice, Lexington, Chalco, Gretna, Gering, York, and surrounding areas.
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