Giving a bath to a person who is bedridden is an activity that has to be learned properly in order to ensure the comfort and safety of the patient.

There are easy techniques we can learn to care for our bedridden loved ones in an effective and loving way. The last thing we want is to cause them harm, thus, we must be very careful when moving them while giving them a bed bath, and we have understand that we will be bathing the person by body parts, not the whole body at once.

Here’s what you should do to bathe a bedridden person so that he or she feels truly clean:

1.Always keep the person’s bottom very clean, so that when bathing time comes, this body part is easier to take care of.  Every time there is an incontinence incident, and after every bowel movement, wash the area thoroughly.

2.Get a small bathtub and fill it with warm water.  You will need five washcloths and five small towels to clean the whole body, because these will be changed frequently to keep the water clean.  You want the dirt to stay on the cloths, not the water.  You can put a small amount of liquid soap into the water, but just a couple of drops so that it doesn’t feel soapy.

3.Adjust the room temperature and get rid of drafts so that the person is not cold.  When the water gets cold, change it to ensure it always remains at a nice warm temperature.

4.Ensure there will be complete privacy while you are bathing your loved one, do not take any phone calls during the process, and focus on the person.

5.Expose body parts as you will be washing them, keep the rest covered to avoid chills.

6.Be cheerful as you bathe the person, talk to them, put some music on if they like it, and treat him or her as you would like to be treated.

7.To begin the bath, put the person on his or her back and expose the upper part of the body.  Wet the washcloth with warm water and rub it on the patient’s face and neck, then, dip a towel into the water, squeeze the excess of liquid, and rub to rinse these body parts.  Get another towel and dry them thoroughly.  Discard the washcloth and rinsing towel; you can use the drying towel again.

8.Repeat the procedure above to wash the arms, hands, and chest, and when you’re done, cover them with a blanket to keep the person warm.

9.Next, turn the person to one side and wash the back with circular movements, following the same routine as before.  After drying the back thoroughly, put the patient back in bed.  Right now may be a good time to change the water, since it may have gotten cold.

10.It’s time to move to the lower part of the body.  Start by washing the legs and feet in the same way you washed the arms and hands, and after drying thoroughly, cover them right away.

11.The last body part you should wash is the bottom.  Use the same procedure as for the rest of the body, and cover as soon as you’re done.

12.Put clean clothes on the person, change the bed sheets, and position the patient comfortably over a low air loss mattress to stimulate circulation in his or her body.

This bathing technique uses a very small amount of water and maximizes the caregiver’s time while making the bedridden person feel refreshed and comfortable.

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Bedridden patients can benefit greatly from a massage.  A pressure mattress is crucial, but not enough, to stimulate the tissues, muscles, and organs in the body; hence, a massage works great to improve the patient’s circulation and to invigorate the muscles to avoid their atrophy.

But, the benefits of a massage in bedridden patients go beyond the physical aspect.  This kind of therapy also makes them feel calmer and reduces stress, helping alleviate pain.

There are 3 types of massages that you can recommend to your bedridden loved one:

1.Myofascial massage
This massage involves the whole body and it is done to relieve the tension in the fascia, which is the fibrous connective tissue that ties muscles and organs together in the body.

The physiotherapist uses long and stretching movements to relax the muscles that are tense.  It is a soft massage that can help alleviate pain.

With slow, steady rubs that are directed towards the heart, blood flow through the body is increased, and in this way, additional oxygen and nutrients can flow more easily to the tissues to enhance the healing process and to relieve pain.

The movement works out the heart muscle and offers training support to the arteries.

2.Swedish massage
This type of massage is more aggressive than the myofascial and is recommended for patients who suffer from muscles spasms and acute pain.  The movements of the Swedish massage affect the muscles, joints, ligaments, and fascia.

Besides improving circulation, this massage enhances breathing capability, reduces the swelling produced by fluid retention, soothes the nerves, and improves flexibility and joint range of motion.

To enhance the healing benefits, the physiotherapist uses hot and cold applications while doing the massage.  Depending on the patient’s level of comfort, the rubs can be gentle or strong.

The ligaments are massaged along and across to stimulate the drainage of toxins and flexibility, and the strong vertical rubs imitate the effects of exercise.

The therapist uses fast vibrating movements to help clear the lungs, to control muscle and joint pain, and to generate muscle contractions.  To alleviate aching joints and to produce a feeling of wellness, the Swedish massage includes compression done with warm oil.

3.Geriatric massage
This type of massage uses many techniques and is tailored to the patient.  It treats emotional states as much as physical ones that are normal in elderly people, and is mainly used in hospitals and nursing homes to help seniors that are bedridden.

People who have to remain in bed for long periods of time need soft massage rubs with oil to help alleviate bedsores and pressure points, and it is also vital to consider arthritis, high blood pressure, brittle bones, and hardened arteries, when defining a massage routine for the elderly.

The geriatric massage may use techniques from the Swedish and myofascial types, plus others from more gentle therapies like Reiki and aromatherapy.  The physiotherapist must be specially trained to deal with the needs of bedridden seniors to ensure the patient is professionally cared for.

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If being bedridden is difficult for an adult, imagine what it can be like for a child, a little person who is supposed to be running around, playing, exploring, and discovering the world.

It is very difficult to acknowledge that your child is sick and can’t move.  Some are bedridden only temporarily, but for others, the condition may be for life, and are forced to remain in bed permanently, aided by a caregiver and special equipment, like a pressure mattress and wheelchair, to make their life easier and more comfortable.

For these kids, the opportunity to develop their minds becomes crucial.  It is particularly challenging to entertain bedridden children with intelligent and fun activities.  The caregiver has to be careful to choose educational and stimulating TV and DVD shows, and must try to find other activities to complement these.

There are many toys that help keep their minds active, like jigsaws, puzzles, drawing and craft materials, and musical instruments.  Here we offer a list of toys that will help parents stimulate their bedridden little ones:

1.Arts and crafts
Not all arts and crafts require paint or glue; there are many simple activities that will keep a bedridden child busy for hours.  Knitting or making friendship bracelets and necklaces will make a girl’s day, and origami will greatly stimulate an intelligent boy.

2.Activity books
There are books full of mind stimulating activities for bedridden children.  You can get older kids crossword puzzles and number games like Sudoku, and coloring books, connect-the-dots activities, and maze puzzles for the younger ones.

3.Puzzles
Talk about variety!  Today you can find all sorts of interesting puzzles to challenge and amuse children of every age, for example, jigsaw puzzles, three-dimensional puzzles, and character puzzles.  A puzzle can easily entertain a child the whole day.

4.Miniature models
Kids today love building airplanes, ships, cars, dinosaurs, and any other kind of models that they can get.  You can also get them scientific models to build a robot, a recycled catamaran, or a mini electric generator.  If your kid likes to challenge himself, these will make his day.

5.Electronic video games
Video games are the delight of children of every age and condition.  If you give your bedridden child a video game console, don’t expect him to put it down easily.  You have to seriously talk to him about the rules for playing with it and establish playing schedules that must be met strictly.

6.Books
Children’s literature today offers a wide array of interesting stories to entertain kids of all ages.  Get your child his or her favorite saga and enjoy watching them read it and ask for more.  You can also get your child audio books if they are somehow unable to hold a book.

7.Musical instruments
Encourage your child to learn to play an instrument, there are many options that fit a bedridden patient, for example, the flute, the clarinet, the violin, the guitar, and even piano may do.  Children who play an instrument develop a special sensitivity and unique understanding of life, as well as a sharp ability for numbers.

8.Board games
These are a classic.  Among the best ones to develop the mind, we can name chess, Backgammon, card games, Scrabble, and Pictionary, but there are hundreds of other options.

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Many people are bedridden due to a disease or other medical condition, and they are commonly not able to perform normal everyday physical activities.

After surgery, there are patients who may have to remain in bed for long periods of time during their recovery, and other people may have disabling diseases or injuries that may chain them to a bed for years or even their whole life.

This is not easy to accept and deal with. Besides the obvious frustration and sadness these people feel in the face of their condition, they have to learn to function effectively and normally again while remaining in bed. They have to learn to be independent, and in many cases, they have to learn to welcome the help of others.

These 8 products are essential to help bedridden patients simplify many of the normal complications they face in their daily life and also to help ease the job of the caregivers:

1.Hospital beds and accessories
These are the most basic products a bedridden patient needs.  The bed is the main element in the patient’s care environment, be it at home or at other types of caring facilities.

A hospital bed helps position the patient and keeps him or her safe, which is not possible with a normal bed.  There are fully electric and semi-electric models that are easier for patients and caregivers to control.

Over bed tables are a very popular accessory used with the bed.  Their height is adjustable; some models have a tilt-top, others have two stages, and still others are of low height range.

2.Pressure relief mattresses
The pressure mattress or low air loss mattress is indispensable to prevent and heal pressure sores, which are the most common complication bedridden patients experience.

Anyone who has to remain in bed or on a wheelchair for long periods of time can get pressure sores.  These are injuries caused by unrelieved pressure that hurts the skin and its underlying tissues by squeezing minute blood vessels that provide oxygen and nutrients to the skin.

Pressure relief mattresses are very effective in helping heal and prevent these injuries and in easing the care giving process considerably.

3.Patient lifts
These are the most common transfer tools used by caregivers to easily and safely move someone who has lost his or her body movement capabilities.  They can be driven mechanically or electrically, and help avoid the risk of injury both for the patient and the caregiver.

4.Wheelchairs
These are the best tools for patients to move independently, even if it is only for a few hours.

5.Patient alarms
Bedridden patients easily fall when trying to leave the bed or chair, or when taking a shower.  In order to prevent this from happening so often, patient alarms have been designed to monitor patients and alert caregivers when immediate help is required.

6.Shower wheelchairs
These solve the personal hygiene needs of patients with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.  They are designed to make the person as independent as possible; thus, they can be used over the toilet and in the shower.

7.Personal care
There are countless options of personal care products for bedridden patients.  Among the best we can count:
-Personal massagers
-Incontinence pants
-Massaging foot spas
-Steam inhalers
-Foot care
-Inflatable bath pillows
-Water bottles
-Self-wipe bathroom toilet aids
-Heel and elbow protectors
-Disposable liners
-Bed pans
-Limb holders
-Mealtime protectors
-Temperature monitors
-Cast and bandage protectors
-Male and female urinals
-Instruction cards
-Wetness alert devices
-Wraps
-Ice bags
-Neck rests
-Hair rinsers
-Bed shampoo kits
-Protective helmets

8.Air chairs
These can be used as wheelchairs or can turn any chair into a pressure relief system to help prevent pressure sores while sitting.

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As surprising as it may sound, a good night’s sleep has as much to do with the mattress that you’re using, as many other factors you might attribute to a peaceful night’s sleep.  Mattresses not fitted for your particular back needs may lead to chronic back pain, trouble sleeping, even insomnia.  Certain mattresses work best for certain people, just as certain mattresses will not work well for certain people, and could potentially be counter-productive to your overall back health.  This is why, when choosing a mattress to best fit your back care needs, whether it is a standard spring mattress, or a top of the line mattress overlay with memory foam support, it is always best to do your research first, instead of learning the hard way later on.

While it is recommended to replace your mattress every 8-10 years, many people may be sleeping on the worst kind of mattress for their back, and not even know it.  Spring babes require replacement every 10-12 years or so, while slat bases will require replacement about every 8 years.  For hygienic reasons however, many mattress experts conclude that you should try to replace your mattress every 5 years for optimal back and overall health.  Although this may sound a bit extreme, replacing your mattress is often an excellent opportunity to find a new and better mattress more formulated to adjust to your ever changing body and health needs.

As people grow older their bodies begin to change and so do their health needs.  An older body will not be as sturdy as it once was, and will require a softer, but still firm bed.  Now even though it is important for an older back that the mattress be soft, it shouldn’t be too soft where it might create difficulties for an older person trying to get out of bed.  The mattress also needs to be even as well, and not have too many peaks, or lumps that may have formed in an older mattress due to day to day use over many years.

When shopping for a mattress the number one thing you need to remember, is that quality matters.  While quality may not be as important in many of the other things you buy, when it comes to mattresses, it should be your primary concern.  When it comes to quality, price ranges will vary from very affordable to high end.  It is important to first consult with a back care expert prior to purchasing a mattress, to understand what the best type of mattress to fit your needs is.

The highest end types of mattresses you can buy today are mattress overlay systems that are made out of memory foam or viscoelastic.  Viscoelastic foam was developed over 30 years ago by two men working at NASA.  It was originally intended to be a lightweight foam designed for rocket insulation and space shuttles, but it is now beginning to make its entry into the mattress market.  While there may be hundreds of different types of mattresses out there, and you might seem confused about which one to buy, the best mattress is always the one that gives you the best night’s sleep while being the option that is best for your back care needs as well.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention http://www.volkner.com as the original source).

If a friend, loved one, or close family member is suffering from chronic pain in their back, legs, neck and joints, there is a good chance it might have a lot to do with the mattress they’re currently using.  Many mattresses today, while still made of good quality, may be doing their back and neck more harm than you may realize.  Even the most expensive, high quality mattress, if not specifically designed with back care needs in mind, can only perpetuate what already might be a very nagging problem.  So how do you go about finding the best mattress to fit specific back care needs, and what type of mattresses are specifically designed for optimum back and neck health.

While one size may fit all for Snuggies, or adjustable baseball hats, one size definitely does not fit all for mattresses.  Because of the fact that everyone’s body is different, and certain areas might need more care and attention than others, buying just any old mattress can be potentially harmful to your overall back and neck health.  Even the most expensive, high quality mattress can be potentially counterproductive if it is not made your with optimal back health in mind.

However, today there is a specially designed mattress made specifically for people with back and neck problems, known as an alternating pressure mattress.  An alternating pressure mattress is a pressure relief mattress made with state of the art memory foam that can help those who suffer from neck and back pain, with a more comfortable and healthy sleep.  But how do alternating pressure mattresses work, and can they really help with severe neck and back pain?

According to many neck and back care experts, alternating pressure mattresses can be one of the best things you can buy to assure proper back health.  Because the average person spends 1/3 of every day sleeping, the type of mattress they use everyday becomes very important to their overall back health.  Even if a person is aware of their back problems, and takes the necessary steps to fix it, such as stretching, yoga, back massages, and even surgery, if they are sleeping on the wrong kind of mattress, their back problems may only continue to worsen.

The reason an alternating pressure mattress is so effective is because it is specifically designed to provide the correct amount of support to various parts of the body as needed.  This alternative pressure approach helps to evenly distribute a person’s weight, making it far different from a standard mattress which might cause unneeded pressure on different areas of the body.  This means that for people suffering from severe back, and neck pain, that their lower back, for instance, isn’t forced to bear the brunt of the weight support, which can only make matters worse.  With alternative pressure technology, the back and neck are more comfortably supported, causing fewer back and neck problems in the immediate future, and down the line as well.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention http://www.volkner.com as the original source).