With the development of technology, preventive medicine and the treatment of diseases have become easier. In addition, awareness of healthy eating has also increased. This increases the average life expectancy all over the world. Most people spend much longer in old age. The same is true for diseases. Diseases that used to be incurable are now curable. Patients can continue their treatment and care processes in the hospital as well as at home. There may be temporary or permanent bed or wheelchair dependency. Some patients may need a companion in this process. If the patient has permanent damage, they need more care. The most important part of the care process is patient cleaning. There are medical products specially produced for this. These products should be used with the privacy of the patient in mind. Self-care of the patient is very important both in terms of health and psychology.
Pressure sores may occur in people who are temporarily or permanently bedridden or wheelchair bound. In addition, different skin diseases may occur. In such cases, in order for the wounds not to progress and heal quickly, both the wound care should be done carefully and the patient's body cleaning should be given maximum attention. Otherwise, the wounds develop rapidly and may become infected. This can put the patient's life at risk.
Wound care is very costly. Therefore, necessary precautions should be taken before the wound occurs. A quality air mattress or air mattress should be used. The patient should be positioned regularly to reduce the pressure on the tissues. In addition, the patient's body cleaning should be done without interruption.
It is very difficult to care for patients with restricted movements. In these people, a decrease in muscle and bone tissue may occur. Since the patient cannot use his muscles sufficiently, he must be moved by the companion during cleaning. This causes fatigue of the companion. If the caregivers are not careful, they may experience back and waist pains as well as muscle and joint problems.
The needs of the patient should be determined in advance, and appropriate medical products should be supplied and the patient's cleaning should be done with these products. Thus, both the patient's needs are met and the health of the companion is protected. Getting help from an expert while supplying products both prevents unnecessary costs and ensures that the right products are preferred.
For pressure sores that may occur on the body, air mattresses suitable for the patient should be preferred. The highest level of protection is the positioning pipe type air mattress. Protection can be provided with barrier cream and skin protection foam to prevent redness and subsequent wound formation on the skin. Especially after the bath, the blood flow can be accelerated by massaging the patient's body with organic oils. Vibrating massage tools specially produced for this purpose can also be used. If there are open wounds on the body, modern wound care products can be preferred for their treatment. Wounds can be cleaned with specially produced wound disinfectants. Afterwards, treatment can be provided by covering it with healing wound dressings. Healing can be accelerated with regular dressings. Hydrophilic gauze and cotton can be used for dressing and skin care.
Patients with restricted movements cannot do their own self-care. They need someone else's help for this. The companion must constantly provide for the patient's needs. One of them is oral care. Oral care is very important for both comfort and health. If the patient is partially able to move and brushing his teeth, it is better to do this with natural toothpaste. The risk of suffocation of the patient during tooth brushing should be considered. If brushing is not possible, oral care sets that provide both dental and oral cleaning, specially produced for patients, can be used. The solutions in their content clean and moisturize the teeth and lips. It also gives relief to the patient. Replacements can be supplied when the maintenance sticks in the set are exhausted. Thus, use can be continued without buying a new set.
One of the most important needs of patients, whether they are bedridden or wheelchair-bound, is the need for a toilet. If the patient can move appropriately, he can meet his needs with materials such as a potty, duck or slider. There are several varieties of the product called duck. Apart from rubber ducks and cardboard ducks, there are useful products called absorbent ducks. If the patient is unable to move, a urinary catheter and a bladder may be preferred. Catheters are available in different designs, depending on whether they are male or female. In addition, there are 2 types of urine bags, with and without a tap. In male patients, urinary catheter with a condom can also be used in addition to the catheter that enters the body.
There are manual or motorized patient lifts. These devices allow to easily lift the lying or sitting patient from where they are. Thanks to its wheels, it makes the transfer of the patient possible. The needs of the patient can be met while on the device by using toilet and bathroom carrying cloths.
If the physical condition of the patient is suitable, he can use a potty patient cot or a potty wheelchair. The middle part of these products is a hole and there is a potty in the section corresponding to the hole. The patient can go to the toilet from where he is lying or sitting. For patients who are not able to use a potty bed, a diaper or washable PVC patient panties can be preferred. To protect the mattress, products called mattress covers and undersheets can be used.
In recent years, under-patient cleaning robots produced for bedridden patients have been used. These devices work fully automatically. It determines the toilet need of the patient, then washes and dries with the most suitable cleaning mode. It automatically detects urine and stool discharge and starts the cleaning process. Cleaning time is around 4-5 minutes including washing and drying. It is used safely with water tank lower limit, waste tank upper limit, washing water excessive temperature, excessive drying temperature, malfunction, leakage and overflow alarms. In these devices, washing water temperature, washing time, drying temperature and drying time can be adjusted.
Medical products such as perineum cleaning wipes, body cleaning wipes, body cleaning sponges, hygienic bath fiber, wet wipes and hair cleaning caps can be used for body cleaning of the patient. Body cleaning sponges are available in glove design. The attendant can easily clean the patient's body by wearing it like a glove. The hair cleaning cap, on the other hand, can be heated in hot water or in a microwave oven and used to clean the patient's hair. It is suitable for all hair types. Hygienic bath fiber can be used by foaming with a small amount of water. The bathroom provides comfort.
Some wheelchairs are produced for bathroom purposes in a water-resistant manner. In this way, the patient can be bathed on a wheelchair. There are also sun lounger-like waterproof bath chairs designed specifically for children.
Thanks to in-bed bath products, it is possible to wash the patient easily without getting out of bed. With these products, it is possible to take a bath with plenty of water in the bed. Products such as patient washing sheets, patient washing sets, patient washing pools, hair washing pools and hair washing trays allow the patient to take a bath.
The hair washing pool allows patients to wash their hair while they are lying down or sitting. These have a special double-chambered inflation design so that the water does not overflow during washing. On the other hand, the patient washing pool is a product that enables people who have difficulty in moving or who are bed-bound to take a bath. With the supplied electric pump, the pool unit can be inflated while under the patient. This process takes about 5 minutes. The electric pump also performs the extinguishing process. There is an inflatable pillow inside the washing pool that keeps the head up. Thanks to the long connecting tube and washing unit, the patient can be washed easily. With the discharge mechanism in the product, the dirty water that fills the pool can be discharged.
Patients' skin becomes more sensitive than normal. In order to prevent irritation that may occur on the skin, care should be taken to ensure that products such as soap and shampoo are natural. Organic products should be used as much as possible and should be rinsed with plenty of water. After the bath, materials such as moisturizing cream and powder should be applied to the body. If the patient has an open wound on his body, he can take a bath by covering it with waterproof bath tapes.
In room cleaning, organic cleaners that do not leave residue and that are not chemical should be used. In this way, allergic reactions and respiratory tract irritation can be prevented. By choosing an air cleaner device suitable for the environment, the risk of infection for both the patient and the companions can be reduced.
The maintenance and cleaning of the devices that the patient has to use should also be followed. When choosing a thermometer (thermometer), devices with the ability to measure the temperature of the environment, surface and liquid should be supplied. Thus, many needs can be met with a single device. In addition, a humidity-temperature meter (thermo-hygrometer) can be supplied to control the humidity and temperature balance of the room.
If the patient moves uncontrollably and hinders the care practices, it is possible to immobilize the patient with the hand-foot fixation band. There are also several medical supplies that attendants can use to protect both themselves and the patient. These are easy-to-find items such as surgical masks, face shields, gloves, gowns, and hair caps.
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