What is the content of daily care education for the elderly?

I have worked as a nursing specialist in a community elderly care service station for 7 years. The daily education I give to the elderly and their families is, to put it bluntly, practical experience gained from daily life. The core is to first cover the most serious risks, and then slowly improve comfort and improve the quality of life.

Last week, Aunt Zhang from Building 3 had an accident. She usually has good legs and feet, but when she woke up at night, she found it too dazzling to turn on the light. She stepped on the water on the floor in the dark and broke her hip. She is still doing training in the rehabilitation department. The first thing we taught recently was to use her as an example to sound the alarm for everyone: waking up at night It is best to install sensor lights in advance. Don’t buy slippers with foam bottoms, as they will be very slippery when wet with water. The dry and wet areas of the bathroom must be covered with raised non-slip mats. Don’t stand up suddenly after taking antihypertensive or antidiabetic medicines, and stand for 30 seconds before walking. It is not a trivial matter to fall down due to orthostatic hypotension. There is also a point that everyone often debates here: Should the elderly wear anti-fall protective gear every day? Some family members feel that wearing the protective gear can provide cushioning, and it will not be a problem if they fall. Some elderly people say that the protective gear is too tight and makes walking inconvenient and makes them easy to fall. We generally recommend that only elderly people with a history of falls and unstable gaits wear hip protectors when going out or doing rehabilitation training. They should not use them at home, so as not to put unnecessary burden on the elderly. In addition, medication safety is something we must mention whenever we talk about it. Don’t hoard medicines. Clean the medicine box once a month and throw away expired ones. Don’t just rely on your impression before taking medicine. Even if you have been taking antihypertensive medicines for several years, you need to check the dosage. Last month, Uncle Li took the wrong antihyperglycemic medicine from his wife and almost fainted due to hypoglycemia.

After talking about the most important safety issues, let’s talk about the daily care details that are most easily overlooked. Many family members think that buying expensive nutritional supplements for the elderly is a sign of filial piety. In fact, if small areas such as the skin and mouth are not taken care of, the elderly suffer even greater consequences. For elderly people who have been bedridden for a long time, many family members know that they turn over every two hours to prevent pressure injuries. However, when they turn over, they pull their arms and shoulders hard, which breaks the skin of the armpits and hip bones before the pressure sores can be pressed out. The correct way is to put a soft pillow under the waist, support the back and turn slowly, not like pulling a sack. As for diet, what is more controversial is drinking bone soup to supplement calcium. Many family members make bone soup for the elderly every day, saying that drinking it will help them grow bones. In fact, the soup contains most of fat and purine, and the calcium content is pitiful. It is better to drink 300ml of warm milk every day, go for a 20-minute walk in the morning when the sun is not shining, and supplement vitamin D to promote calcium absorption. It is more effective than drinking ten pots of bone soup.

In addition to physical care, there is another invisible point that we often mention now, which is the emotional state of the elderly. In the past two years, our station was connected to Grandpa Wang, who used to be a middle school history teacher. After he retired, his children did not let him do this or that, saying that he should take a break after being busy all his life. As a result, he was bored at home every day and could not even leave the house. Later, we found him a volunteer position in after-school care in the community, and told children historical stories every Wednesday afternoon. Now he is in high spirits and his blood pressure has stabilized a lot. Many family members do not understand this and feel that it is unfilial to let the elderly work. In fact, as long as the elderly's health allows, they can find a sense of value by doing things that are within their capabilities and that they are interested in. It is much better than sitting at home waiting for meals every day.

When we do missionary work, we never read from the booklet. We always come to chat with someone who has a problem, or we talk together in the evening when we are enjoying the cool air in the small square. These are all practical experiences accumulated through hard work. They can help the elderly suffer less, which is better than anything else.