Hygiene of a bedridden person
Here's some advice how to take care of a bedridden person's personal hygiene:
- Make sure that you have all the necessary items at hand before you start.
- Protect the bed with a special hygienic underpad before attempting to carry out the bed bath.
- Start the bath by washing the face, and then wash the ears and the neck. Proceed to washing the arms and torso. Carefully dry the parts you have washed. Do not rub the skin with a towel – rather pat the skin dry.
- Turn the person to one side to wash his or her back.
- Take care to clean between the toes when washing the feet. Remember to dry them.
- After washing the body you can apply moisturizing body lotion.
- Take care of the areas exposed to chafes and bedsores using special body care creams.
- Remember to brush the teeth/dentures after each meal and comb the hair at least once a day.
- Change your loved one’s clothes and bedding as often as necessary to avoid exposing him or her to wetness.
- Remember that the skin condition of your loved one’s depends mainly on the care you provide. Looking after your loved one’s skin by careful hygiene, using skin care products designed for that purpose, will save the bedridden person the suffering, and save you the extra work.