Daily care tips for the elderly

Don't go against the habits of the elderly. It is 10 times easier to prevent risks than to remedy problems. Emotional comfort is more effective than any supplement. I have been doing community nursing for the elderly for almost 8 years, and I have seen too many family members spend tens of thousands of yuan on nursing devices and imported health products, but they are not as useful as adjusting small details according to the habits of the elderly.

Let’s take the anti-slip issue that bothers many people. There was an Aunt Zhang in the area I was responsible for. Her son and daughter bought several pairs of professional non-slip socks, which were dusty and had rubber particles in them. She found them ugly and refused to wear them when she went out for a walk and practiced Tai Chi. Then I came up with an idea to find a navy blue anti-slip style with a little dark lines, which would go well with the Tai Chi clothes she often wears. She wears them every day now, and she can’t bear to take them off even for square dances with her old sisters. Don’t underestimate this little thing. 90% of elderly people’s falls are caused by not paying attention when they go out for a walk or get up at home. It is much more effective than saying “be careful” every day and arranging protective equipment according to his aesthetics so that he is willing to use it.

When it comes to the issue of drinking water, there have always been two different opinions in this field: one group believes that healthy elderly people should drink 1500-2000ml per day to prevent blood clots and constipation; the other group believes that elderly people with renal insufficiency and heart failure must strictly control the amount of water they drink. Drinking too much will increase the burden on the body. I met a family before. The son watched his old father drink eight glasses of water every day. As a result, the old man, who already had heart failure, had his feet so swollen that he couldn't wear shoes. He was so breathless in the middle of the night that he couldn't lie down. He was sent to the emergency room and stayed in the hospital for a week. If you really need to remind him to drink water, you don’t need to force it down. Buy a sippy cup with a gravity ball, and place it on the armrest of the sofa or at the dining table where he often sits. Hand it to him and let him take a few sips every time he passes by. It is much more effective than chasing behind him and saying, "It's time for you to drink water."

Let’s talk about the most frequently asked questions about skin care and bed care. Many people think that the elderly should apply a thick layer of moisturizer if their skin is dry, and those who are bedridden for a long time must turn over every two hours. In fact, this is not absolutely true. There used to be a Grandpa Li who had very sensitive skin. Applying thick moisturizer made him scratch all the time. Later we changed the method and asked him to apply a thin layer of unscented Vaseline every time after bathing and when there were still some water droplets on his body. After washing his hands, he immediately applied hand cream while they were still damp. The effect was better than applying three thick layers of moisturizer before. The time for turning over must also be adjusted flexibly. If the elderly already have pressure sores, they must turn over strictly according to the time and wear a pressure-reducing pad. ； However, if the elderly person's skin is always in good condition and he sleeps very lightly, and if you have to wake him up to turn over after finally falling asleep, it will weaken his immunity. In this case, it is perfectly fine to extend the time to 3 hours. You cannot wear out the elderly person's energy to prevent pressure sores.

Oh, by the way, there is also the issue of eating. I have seen too many family members beat all the vegetables and rice into paste for the elderly to eat because they are afraid that the elderly will choke. Unless the doctor diagnoses swallowing dysfunction, it is really not recommended to do this. Eating glutinous rice for a long time will not only cause the elderly's chewing function to deteriorate faster, but also cause the food to lose its original flavor, which will lead to a loss of appetite and make malnutrition more likely. There used to be a Grandpa Wang, and his family always fed him porridge. He got into a tantrum and refused to eat every day. Later, we replaced him with a non-slip spoon with a thick handle and an anti-spill bowl with a suction cup. We cut the vegetables into small dices, cooked the rice softer, and let him eat with a spoon. With such a small change, he was able to eat half a bowl of more porridge every day, and he talked a lot more than before.

Many people always think that nursing care is about eating, drinking and sleeping. In fact, the emotions of the elderly are the most easily ignored part. Just like many old people who love to save paper shells and empty bottles. If you don't come up and throw them away secretly to quarrel with him, set aside a corner of his locker to store these things. Sort them with him once a week and sell them. The money you sell will be used as pocket money to buy candies. It will make him happier than if you forced him to give him thousands of pocket money. If he likes to pick vegetables or clean the table, don't always say "stop doing it and take a break." Let him do some small things within his ability. He will feel that he is still useful, his mood will be smooth, and his headaches and brain fever will be reduced by half.

After all, there is no one-size-fits-all care tip. Every elderly person’s physical condition, temperament, and habits are different. Squatting down and asking “Do you think this will work?” is more effective than reading 10 popular science articles. After all, when it comes to nursing care, you must first take care of your heart before you can take good care of yourself.