When one is confined to bed and unable to attend to his
own needs, it is indeed frustrating. This is further aggravated
if his body and his surroundings are not clean.
1. Wash from head to toes
2. Move sheet and towel to his waist
Expose only the areas that are going to be cleaned
3. Protect sheet with towel
Cover top half of body while washing legs
4. Turn him to one side and clean the
back
Giving him a good wash whilst in bed, with a change of clothing,
bed linen and body position will freshen him up and improve
his state of mind.
While bathing a person in bed, a proper preparation is important,
both to boost your confidence, as well as to reduce the
anxiety of the one to whom you are giving the bath.
It is important to have the following available:
-
Essential
toiletries
-
One or
two basins of warm water (allow for change of water to
take place when source of water supply is not near)
-
Washcloths
(have a separate one available for washing the genital
area)
-
Towels
-
Bed linen
-
Toilet
paper or wet napkins (to clean when one is soiled)
-
Disposable
diapers (optional)
While washing him, please pay attention to the following:
-
Eyes
-
Nose
-
Lips
-
Ears
-
Armpits
-
Groin
-
Genitalia
-
Skin Folds
You may want to wash him in a systematic manner
as follows:
-
Clean the front
-
Then turn him
to the side, to clean the side and back
-
Turn him back
again, to clean the other side
Apply skin lotion to keep skin soft and supple. Avoid excessive
use of talcum powder as it can cause the skin to be dry
and itchy. This can give rise to skin infection.
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