A family caregiver caring for a loved one at home will need to acquire some basic caregiving skills to make them comfortable. The ability to move a bed-bound patient or senior is a crucial skill. You may not have considered how to flip an adult over in bed before, but laying in one position for long periods can create painful pressure injuries.
As a caregiver to your senior, you may need assistance with a bedpan, remaking the bed with clean linens, or changing a bandage. Knowing how to reposition a bed-bound senior will come in handy. Pneumonia, cystic fibrosis, and other illnesses can all be helped by repositioning bedridden individuals.
It cannot be easy to move a bedridden person. When changing positions or getting out of bed, we must consider the well-being of both the patient and the caregiver. The patient will be better protected, and their needs will be satisfied if the correct movement strategies are used. It also ensures that the caregiver does not sustain any injuries that may have been avoided while transporting the patient.
Where do I begin?
Always start by asking your seniors if you can assist them in shifting into a different posture. Even if they appear asleep, you should make your purpose to relocate them known. Close curtains or doors to ensure privacy to safeguard your seniors’ dignity. Even if they don’t appear awake or conscious, you should extend this kindness. Remove any items that could be damaged or in the way, such as extra blankets, books, eyeglasses, pillows, pill crushers, and any wires or tubes connected to medical equipment.
The basics of lifting
There are a few general safety precautions you should follow first before attempting to relocate or rotate someone bedridden:
- Keep the patient close to your body at all times.
- Make sure your head and neck are in correct alignment with your spine.
- To stay balanced, keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bending at the waist is not a good idea. Make sure seniors wear back support to avoid abusing the spinal part.
- Maintain the natural bend of your spine.
- Lift and pull with your leg muscles.
- When carrying someone, do not twist your body.
On your own, do not try to transfer someone who is too heavy, unwilling, or in an awkward posture. Request assistance. When relocating a patient, avoid making quick movements. Quick changes in position can result in injury, suffering, and even falls. Avoid sudden pick-up from the back if the senior is still lying in bed. Using a seat lift first is better to support the pressure below the spinal. If the movement is too violent or too quick, you may injure the person’s skin.
What is the best way to rotate a senior?
Whether you’re changing positions or assisting the patient out of bed, the first step is to turn the patient. The following order is the right way to rotate a senior or bedridden patient to their beds.
- Begin by standing on the same side of the bed as the senior you intended to turn. Raise the senior’s arms above his head and clasp his hands. Ascertain that his knees are slightly bowed. To make sure, invest in a medical adjustable bed so you can easily lift the senior from lying in his bed.
- Rotate the person’s body towards you with one hand on his shoulder and the other on his hip. Be kind to yourself.
- Return the patient to the center of the bed after being in the proper posture. Place linen between the knees and behind the back for increased comfort.
- Examine the patient’s situation. Make sure your knees, elbows, and ankles aren’t rubbing against one other. You should align the head and neck with the spine to avoid pain.
- Adjust the neck to its proper posture if extended to the side, front, or back.
- Make sure the bed rails are up if necessary, then adjust the bed comfortably.
- Before leaving the room, make sure the patient is comfortable. Pillows can provide additional support and comfort in important regions such as the back, head, and knees.
How to rotate a senior and get out of the bed
Patients who spend extended periods in bed may gradually deteriorate. The patient may eventually be requested to move back up for better comfort.
- Begin by explaining your plan to the senior. Ensure the bed is completely flat. Place a half-rolled-up sheet against the patient’s back, and roll him to one side.
- AvaCare Medical suggests adopting the slide sheet method to avoid harming the patient. To shift the patient in bed using this technique, you’ll need two persons.
- After that, roll the patient back onto the sheet and spread it flat underneath the patient. It would help if your shoulders, head, and hips were on the sheet.
- On opposing sides of the bed, caregivers should stand. The idea is to drag the patient to the head of the bed rather than lifting them.
Make use of the right tools.
It is possible to reduce the risk of injury to you and the senior by using the appropriate equipment. Various equipment is available to caregivers to help transfer and move a senior safer and more efficiently. These are some of the tools:
Slide boards transfer people from their beds to a bedside commode, wheelchair, or chair.
A gait belt is an assistive instrument that can securely transition a person from a bed to a wheelchair and help them sit, stand, and walk. It’s fastened around the waist so that a caregiver can grab it and help lift or move the senior.
Patients with limited mobility might use pivot discs to help them pivot into the proper position before being put into a chair or a wheelchair.
Patients who require 100-90% assistance getting in and out of bed can benefit from this lift.
Final Thoughts
If the senior you care for must spend the most of their time in bed, make sure to assist them in changing positions regularly. Changing positions health care specialists recommend every four hours. If the seniors are strong enough, a medical trapeze over the bed can assist them in shifting positions on their own. If they cannot turn over, have a health care practitioner demonstrate how to roll the individual in bed from side to side using a sheet.
AvaCare Medical is here to teach you how to posture a senior securely. To decrease the dangers to your loved one’s comfort and well-being, contact us here at 1-877-813-7799 or email us at info@avacaremedical.com if you have any questions about how to do it properly or if you observe signs of skin harm.