What are the daily care skills for the elderly?

The core nursing skills essentially revolve around the three core logics of "complying with physiological characteristics, reducing accident risks, and taking into account emotional needs." There are not as many complex standards as those transmitted online, and most of them are detailed adjustments that fit the daily habits of the elderly.

In the five or six years I have been doing community care, I have seen too many family members follow the online tutorials, which in turn puts a burden on the elderly. Aunt Zhang used to live in Building 3. Her children were afraid that she would have osteoporosis, so they forced her to drink two cups of high-calcium milk every day. As a result, the old woman was lactose intolerant and had diarrhea for a week. She almost had an electrolyte disorder and was hospitalized. Later, we suggested changing the high-calcium milk to warm sugar-free yogurt, and taking her downstairs to bask in the sun for 15 minutes at 9 a.m. every day. She did not need to take calcium supplements. After half a year, the bone density was stable at the normal level. In fact, the digestion ability of the elderly has long since deteriorated. There is no need to blindly pursue "high nutrition". Vegetables do not need to be boiled until they are pulpy. Just chop them into fine pieces and mix them into the porridge for two minutes. This will retain the nutrients and allow you to chew them. ； When drinking water, you don’t have to wait for the elderly to cry out that they are thirsty. Just hand him a small half cup every time you pass by, just 30 to 40 ml at a time. You will not have to run to the toilet frequently because of drinking too much, and you can also avoid urinary tract infections caused by long-term lack of water. Uncle Li, who took care of him before, changed this drinking habit, and the urinary tract infections that he had suffered two or three times a year have never relapsed.

Many family members always think about how to supplement nutrition when they first start nursing. On the contrary, the details of preventing falls that should be the highest priority are often easily overlooked. Don’t think that installing a bathroom handrail is enough. Don’t choose the Internet-famous slippers that are often worn by the elderly and are soft when you step on them. The soles are too soft and will easily deform when you step on them. On the contrary, it is easy to sprain your feet. Choose shoes with a slightly higher upper and deep anti-slip patterns on the soles, which will not slip easily when wet. Never place a folding shoe-changing stool in the entrance area where you can change shoes. The last time Mr. Wang in the community stepped on a folding stool to change shoes, the stool slipped and broke his femoral neck. The surgery and recovery cost hundreds of thousands. He hasn't gone downstairs for more than half a year. So he replaced it with a fixed low stool that costs tens of yuan, which is much more stable. There are also night lights for getting up at night. Don’t install the white light ones that dazzle your eyes when they turn on. The warm light ones are inserted in the corridor twenty or thirty centimeters above the ground. They can just illuminate the road clearly without shaking people away from drowsiness. The probability of falling after waking up at night can be reduced by more than half.

It's interesting to say that many people think that nursing is just about eating, drinking and sleeping. Only after working for a long time do they realize that emotional care is the part that most affects the quality of life of the elderly. There used to be a grandfather Chen. When he first retired, his children would not let him do anything. He would be busy at home every day and would always get angry and skip meals. Later, we suggested that he help pick vegetables every day and hand over a bowl after eating. Even if the vegetables he picked had insect holes, the children could just pick them up secretly when they went back. The old man felt that he could still help, and the food tasted a lot better. There are also old people who have poor memory as they age. Sometimes they talk about old colleagues and friends who have passed away, and say they want to call and arrange to play chess. The industry has had different views on this matter before. One group thinks that we should directly wake up the old man and help him recognize the reality, so as to avoid being immersed in the past memories for a long time. ； However, most of our front-line caregivers still believe that as long as the elderly person’s thoughts do not harm themselves or affect others, it is fine to just follow the advice. For example, replying with “Let’s chat after dinner” is much gentler than directly saying “You forgot that the person left a long time ago”, and the elderly person will not have an emotional breakdown.

In fact, there are no universally perfect techniques. They are all honed little by little based on the living habits of the elderly. For the elderly, making him feel comfortable is always more important than "conforming to standards."