Bath and Bed

Making a Bed

1. Why do we need to know how to make an unoccupied and occupied bed?
     When someone at home is sick for a long time and is very weak, he or she would not be able to stand up or just sit. Now, it is better if you know the right process in making an unoccupied bed. You would be able to help others while learning the experience. You won't know when you are going to need this knowledge, you may need it in the future after all.
     For the occupied bed, you should know it, because you have a bed that needs to be made. If you don't know the right instructions to follow, your bed won't look nice and dust (which you can't see) will spread on your bed from your pillow.


2. How does making a bed help in the fast recovery of our patient?
     If my patient will not feel comfortable, he or she will have a hard time to recover. And when the bed have creases on them, it might irritate the patient's back and may lead to sores, itching, and wounds. In order to lessen the patient's condition, you also have to stay alert if there are any unnecessary spills or liquids or even solids on the bed. 

3. As a good home nurse, how will you be able to render your services to your patient through bed making?
     

 Bathing the Patient

1. Why do you need to give a bath to the patient?
     A patient will feel uncomfortable and sticky if he or she will not have a bath. You need to give the patient a bath to make sure he or she is comfortable and dirt will not stick to him o her.

2. What are the materials needed for bed bath or sponge bath?
     You need a pair of big towels and small towels, a rubber sheet, a basin with warm water (make sure that the water will not burn your patient), a soap, and light blanket.

3. What’s the importance of using a urinal or bedpan?
     You don't want the patient to pee on the bed, do you? A urinal is used when your patient is not strong enough to go to the bathroom.  You won't need to carry the patient to the bathroom, you just have to know how to give the patient the urinal.

4. What do you mean by back rub?
     A back rub is like a massage but it doesn't involve hard pressing of your hands. You just need to spread the oil or lotion on the patient's back to relax him or her.

5. How do you differentiate cold compress from hot compress?
      Of course, the cold compress uses cold water and the hot compress uses hot water. Now, what is the real difference between the two? In cold compress, it is used to relieve pain or reduce inflammation or used as a comfort measure while in hot compress, it is used to increase the circulation locally. It can also relieve pain and congestion.