Quality Home Care For Bedridden Elderly

Home care can encompass many different services. Such services range from helping with cleaning, cooking, and shopping, to caring for patients with feeding tubes, oxygen machines, and catheters. Bedridden elderly, whether they are in that state temporarily or for the long term, can really benefit from the kind of help a home caregiver can provide.

"Aging in place" is becoming a popular alternative to elderly people having to relocate to a nursing homes, especially if they are confined to their beds. Home care providers can help the patient manage their needs in their own setting, where they are familiar with their surroundings and comfortable in their home environments. Many families are looking to home care to ensure elderly loved ones are well cared for during those times when they are particularly fragile.

Being bedridden is hard enough without having to spend all that time in a hospital. Having an opportunity to heal at home, in contrast, is much more comfortable and pleasant for most bedridden patients. By finding a trusted professional to provide at-home elderly care, families can rest assured that their bedridden loved ones will receive the personal care and attention they regularly need. Any equipment that is needed outside of what is already in the home - a special bed, a portable commode, oxygen machines, etc. 

Here are some basic guidelines that home care providers should be following when it comes to caring for those who are confined to their beds. The caregiver should

•  Feed the patient a balanced diet, paying attention to doctor's orders for any dietary restrictions
•  Make sure the patient has plenty of fluids throughout the day and healthy snacks when they are hungry, unless otherwise instructed by the doctor
•  Make the patient feel comfortable, safe, and clean at all times.
  Eliminate boredom with reading materials, TV, radio, puzzles, card games, visitors and good conversation
•  Provide good support for the patient's back and something to brace and/or elevate their feet
• Move the patient regularly if they are unable to do so on their own. This is very important for preventing bed sores in bedridden patients. 
• Change the bed sheets every few days and whenever they are soiled

Be sure to research the costs and range of services made available by elderly care agencies in your area. Always make sure that the home care providers and the agency you hire has workers' compensation coverage. If not, check to see that your homeowner's insurance is adequate.

While nursing facilities are typically less costly than home-based elderly care for bedridden patients needing a round-the-clock provider, preserving the quality of life of the patient and peace and mind of the family may be well worth the added cost. Families can always make other arrangements if more complex care is needed.

Dementia Friendly Environment

As the number of people are diagnosed with dementia increases, it is essential that people receive continued supported to live independently in the comfort of their own homes. In future years, care homes places are likely to be inadequate in coping with the ageing populations so we will need to find alternatives.

Whether you work for a home care service or support a member of your family, it is important to understand the impact the environment can have on a person's wellbeing as it can often help you to understand a person's behavior and you can make changes to compensate.

When a person has dementia, they additional problems relating to memory loss and confusion. There are emotional changes too, such as agitation and depression. Although there is no cure for old age or dementia, there are changes that we can make to improve homes and provide safe and comfortable surrounding that will support independent living and quality of life.

There are some changes that could be made when considering either a house move or refurbishing an existing home, which could make it easier for someone with dementia to maintain their independence and confidence for longer- not only giving the person with dementia a better quality of life but having a positive effect on their families, friends and carers.

Karen Clayton

Mental Health Awareness

This is a great video from Minds Like Ours, who are trying to raise awareness of mental health disorders and help those in need

Shaping the future of care for the elderly with Dementia

LIFE STORIES HELP THOSE WITH DEMENTIA

Guidance for the care of elderly people

Nursing elderly people is a specialism that requires highly skilled nurses who can deal with the complexity of health and social needs that older people can present you with. As the older population increases so too does the need for greater understanding of the specific needs for the elderly people.

Ensuring quality of life and well-being during old age is vital and includes addressing issues around ill health and frailty. There is no doubt that providing the fundamentals of care in a skilled and caring way can make a huge difference to the outcomes and quality of life for elderly people in your care.

The essence of nursing care for the older people is about getting to know and value people as individuals through effective assessment, finding out how they want to be cared for from their perspective, and providing care which ensure that respect, dignity and fairness are maintained.

The aim of this guidance is to encourage nurses to develop a positive attitude towards elderly people , and embrace positive feelings of respect and an understanding that elderly people are important members of society. the majority of whom have the potential to participate actively and be in control of their own lives.

Understanding Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's Disease

We care for older people and adult with conditions such as Alzheimer's, Dementia, Stroke, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis,Physical disabilities , Learning Disabilities, Reablement needs following hospitalisation, Respite care and end of life care.

Dementia -Recognising Synthoms of Dementia.

Understanding and Recognising Dementia.

People with dementia should be supported to live fulfilled and positive lives and to reach their potential wherever they choose to live or during their journey through the health and social care system.

The need for excellence in care for people with dementia should be paramount for all practitioners.The changes experienced by people with dementia when entering a new environment, or the impact of ill health or a traumatic life event, can often manifest themselves in changes in behaviours or distress. Understanding the and recognising the consequences of dementia are crucial to how we treat people and manage the disease.

What is dementia?

Dementia describes a clinical syndrome in which the brain fails to function, it used to be called brain failure in the same way as people talk about heart failure, liver failure or kidney failure.

Symptoms can vary from person to person. some of these symptom may include:

• Problem in cognition (largely memory lost but also language)
• Problems with activities of daily living(an inability to care for oneself)
• A cluster of emotion changes (psychological and psychiatric symptoms, and behaviours that can be challenging).
• Decline in language abilities, this might include difficulty getting words out or understanding words. People may repeat commonly used word or phrases, make grammatical errors and forget the meaning of words
• Difficulty recognising people or knowing what object are for.
• Personality changes, this may include a lack of social awareness, loss sympathy and empathy, apathy and inappropriate behaviour.
• Changes in food preference or over -eating.
• Lack of personal awareness. People may fail to maintain their normal level of personal hygiene and grooming.

Dementia is a progressive condition, and the main causes are Alzheimer's disease (about 60 per cent) and vascular dementia (about 25 per cent) with the combination of two being common.Other less common causes includes lewy body dementia in which symptom of Parkinson's disease are present and frontal.

Diagnosis

Its is important to get the right diagnosis so that appropriate treatments and help can be given. if you worried about your health or someone else's you should talk to your GP.

If your GP suspects dementia, they may refer you to memory clinic or another specialist clinic., You will asked about your symptoms and medical history and may have a physical check-up and memory test. They may also send you for other test including brain scans and blood tests. Together these tests will help to identify the problems in thinking and function and the likely cause.