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General care
General guidanceup
It is essential that the patient be in a pleasant environment, avoiding noise, shouting, direct light to the eyes, etc., which may be disturbing.
We try to provide a room that is light coloured or brightly lit, ventilated, cosy and as spacious as possible, avoiding obstacles such as rugs, furniture, stools and decorations that could get in the way.
We use armchairs or firm chairs 40-50 cm. in height, with backs and ample armrests to facilitate independent patient activity as well as his or her cares.
From the onset, patients will try to care for themselves to eat, bathe, dress, even if they take longer than normal or require adaptations or technical assistance.
The patient should participate, whenever possible, in familly life and receive appropriate mental stimulus (conversation, newspapers, books, music, radio, simple manual activities, board games, television, etc.).
The bedup
The BED will be of a height that allows patients to rest their feet on the floor when they sit on the edge.
The mattress should be firm, with the pillow sufficiently high to maintain the head and neck in line with the back, having available, if necessary,
additional pillows, quilted underpads, anti-eschar cushion or mattress to avoid the appearance of skin ulcers that can affect pressure areas (heels, buttocks, elbows and head). The sheets should be dry and well-stretched, without wrinkles, for the same purpose.
Hygieneup
HYGIENE is a basic aspect. Bathing will be done carefully with warm water and soap, followed by soft and meticulous drying, especially between toes and fingers, recommended for protecting particularly the groin folds and below the breasts. We finish by applying rubbing alcohol to pressure areas in order to reinforce the skin.
Other hygiene aspects are nail care, keeping them clean and short, brushing the teeth and rinsing the mouth after each meal, as well as combing and shaving, factors that have a strong influence on the image and mood of the patient.
If possible, patients should be independent with their personal hygiene, but if not, we can use technical assitance such as grab bars or elevated toilet seats. If despite all attempts a patient is not able to perform independently, he or she should be assisted.
Clothingup
Initially the patient will wear loose clothing, with easy frontal opening (velcro, zip).
In the case of an affected limb, when dressing first introduce the affected arm, and when undressing begin with the healthy side. If we are using clothing that should be placed over the head, first introduce the affected arm, then the healthy one, and finally pass it over the head. Pants should be put on or removed in a seated position using the same order specified for the shirt.
HEALTH
