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Hot, spring or summer days can take their toll on everyone, but they are especially troublesome for the elderly and people who are immobilized in bed. It is therefore necessary to create such conditions for them that will allow them to survive this difficult period calmly.
Organizing care for a sick person lying at home is a real challenge for the whole family and caregivers. You have to take into account the general condition of the sick person (including comorbidities), their needs and preferences, take care of proper hygiene, menu and functional room furnishings. The weather conditions should not be forgotten either – when summer comes, patients do not endure compulsory bed rest.
Shutters and fan
Efficient people can easily shelter from the heat. It should be remembered that the same conditions should be provided to a patient who cannot independently change not only the position of the bed, but sometimes also his own position in it. So, first of all, let’s try to reduce the annoying sunlight in the room where the sick person lies. For this purpose, it is worth closing the curtains (preferably thick – linen or cotton) or lowering the blinds.
Of course, shading is not enough. It is also necessary to ventilate the room, both for the ease of breathing and the oxygenation of the skin, which requires a constant supply of oxygen to perform its functions. In summer, however, it is better to ventilate the room in the evening, after the sun goes down, when the heat has passed. During the day, you can turn on a fan or a portable air conditioner. It is worth buying them in a medical equipment store – they will advise you on the appropriate type of device there.
Relief in hot weather is also provided by compresses and cooling compresses on the forehead, soaked in water at room temperature or, if possible, by bathing the feet in cool water.
It is also important to choose materials that come into contact with the body of a lying person: pajamas should be light, airy, made of natural fabrics, and a cotton blanket will serve as a cover better than a duvet.
Sweating under control
Increased sweat production (proportional to the increase in temperature) is the body’s most natural response to the summer heat. Excessive, bothersome sweating is both a personal feature (some of us sweat more, others less) and accompanies some diseases, including obesity, cancer of the lymphatic system, e.g. leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, tuberculosis (night sweats, ), diabetes (profuse sweating when blood sugar drops suddenly), Parkinson’s disease (deep-smelling, dense sweating) To counteract excessive sweating, you can use deodorants, but avoid antiperspirants, i.e. cosmetics that inhibit sweat.
In hot summer, the body of a patient who is immobilized in bed must be washed twice a day – preferably with water and soap, e.g. sulfur or a delicate one for children. You can also use syndets, i.e. soaps that do not contain traditional detergents, so they do not irritate the skin. Use a sponge or a glove for washing. In order to avoid the risk of chafing and bedsores, it is especially important to wash the places where two surfaces of the body meet (buttocks, groin). It is good to wipe the body of the sick person with ordinary alcohol, pouring a little liquid into the hollow of the hand. Such a procedure improves blood circulation, which is important in the case of patients who are immobilized for a long time. To prevent sweating, use powders or creams with collagen.
The hygiene of the feet should be especially carefully taken care of, especially when the patient suffers from their increased sweating. If an unpleasant odor appears, it may not be a sign of improper hygiene, but rather the development of mycosis (it is favored by high temperatures). You can then try the home method – wash your feet twice a day in water with baking soda (1 teaspoon of baking soda for 1 liter of water). Mushrooms do not like an alkaline environment and then stop reproducing. If this method does not help, antifungal preparations will be needed, but their use must be consulted with a doctor beforehand.
Since sebum secretion from sebaceous glands increases in hot weather, not only the body but also oily hair needs to be washed much more often (even every two days).
Anti-bedsore prophylaxis
Almost all patients who are immobilized in bed for a long time are at risk of developing pressure ulcers. These skin lesions, turning into hard-to-heal wounds, appear on the buttocks around the coccyx, sacrum, shoulder blades, heels, elbows, on the inside of the knees and on the ankles, i.e. in those places where the entire weight of the body rests. almost motionless. In the summer, the problem of bedsores increases, because the places where the skin contacts the surface of the sheets and mattress sweat more and are constantly moist. What can you do?
First of all – pay attention to the first signs of the appearance of bedsores: reddening of the skin that does not disappear after the pressure subsides, abrasions and blisters of the epidermis. You should definitely avoid overheating and sweating the skin, so – despite the undoubted hygiene facilities, especially when the patient does not go to the toilet – do not use mattress pads that are impermeable to air and moisture – made of rubber, foil or oilcloth. However, it is worth buying an anti-bedsore mattress or special pillows and wheels that are placed in places exposed to pressure ulcers. It is also necessary to systematically change your position every few hours – from supine, to one side, then to the other. All this to relieve the places that are particularly prone to pressure. If the patient is prone to sweating, you can sprinkle talcum powder on the bedding, which will make it easier to move the lying person.
However, the drying of the patient’s skin cannot be overdone. Dry epidermis is prone to abrasions and cracks even with minor injuries. Therefore, patting or light body massage with talcum powder, camphor or salicylic spirit should not be too frequent, so as not to dry the skin. Adequate hydration, e.g. with lipid creams and emollients, will keep it lubricated. Note, after using this type of cosmetics, you cannot use talcum powder or powders immediately, because on the oily surface a crust that is difficult to remove will form, which will certainly not facilitate the skin’s breathing.
Summer diet
On hot days, the healthy body prompts you to choose light meals. Such dishes should be prepared for the patient: low-protein, only cooked, with lots of fruit and vegetables. It is good to serve stewed vegetables, e.g. in a pan with the addition of olive oil, and fish, egg, minced, cooked meat, for example in the form of meatballs. Among the vegetables, the most important are the celery ones – parsley rich in iron and vitamin C, lettuce or spinach that supplies iron. On the other hand, legumes, bloating and lingering in the stomach are not recommended. Instead of constipation white bread, it is better to serve graham or rye bread.
It is also important to drink even a glass of buttermilk a day. It contains a lot of calcium bicarbonate, strengthens bones, prevents osteoporosis, and is easily absorbed by the intestines. In summer, refreshing fruit soups rich in microelements, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, are also good. They can be served with croutons, pasta or poured dumplings.
For dessert, it is worth preparing mousses, jellies or kissels with the addition of grated seasonal fruit. When an elderly person has problems with chewing food, some of them should be mixed (e.g. meat or vegetables).
The diet of a chronically ill, lying person should be particularly rich in various vitamins: A – protecting the skin, B2 – facilitating cellular respiration, C – being a component necessary for the synthesis of collagen and trace elements and minerals – iron and zinc, which support the course of tissue repair processes. If the consumed foods are incomplete in terms of nutritional values, or the patient has a poor appetite or does not like certain dishes, you can take advantage of the complementary effects of vitamin or strengthening preparations available in pharmacies without a prescription.
In hot weather, you need to remember about the increased supply of fluids – a minimum of two liters of drinks a day. Recommended: non-carbonated mineral water, boiled fruit compotes, mint teas with pansy or nettles to improve metabolism, fruit juices with natural sugars. Fluids should be at room temperature.
Consultation: certified nurse Zofia Kodym
Also read: Immobilized in bed