Taking Care of Bedridden Patients

Seeing your loved one bedridden and suffering can be among the most emotionally draining experiences of life. Worse still is the feeling of being unable to do much to alleviate their suffering and not being able to give the best of care due to various constraints, chiefly time.

The results of a study throws this situation into sharp focus – according to the study, out of 2.5 million people above the age of 60 in the Delhi/NCR region of India, a shocking 4% are bedridden.

These bedridden patients face a variety of practical problems, including non-availability of home care givers, feeling of depression/nervousness, lack of cleanliness & hygiene, bedsores, and high blood pressure, among others. Almost 1/3rd of the patients in the study said they were in urgent need of caregivers or were found to be without adequate care.

Most bedridden patients stay at their homes and are looked after by family members. But, over time, it becomes exhausting and takes a toll on the family. In such a scenario, ‘home-based healthcare’ can be of immense help for the bedridden patients as well as the family.

What is bedridden?

There are several reasons for a patient to be bedridden. Fracture of the spine, paralysis, coma, surgery, head injury, trauma, end-of-life care, old age and stroke are some of the situations that force people to become bedridden. Such people require home-based health care services for speedy and good recovery.

Common problems faced by bedridden patients

Bedridden patients are highly susceptible to health problems.

• Ulcers or bedsores: Foremost among the problems are pressure ulcers or bedsores. If not treated on time, these could get infected and cause further complications.
• Muscles Weakness: Due to long periods of inactivity or lack of normal activity, bedridden patients may experience muscle weakness.
• Pulmonary complications: Immobility also causes pulmonary congestion, pneumonia and back pain. It is important to keep rotating the patient to avoid these complications.
• Depression or feeling low is also common among the bedridden. Love, care, attention, companionship, and empathy are required to keep them away from depression.
• Sleep problems are yet another major concern for bedridden patients. Their immobility causes them discomfort, which in turn hampers their sleep. To alleviate this situation and to keep them at ease, special beds and mattresses should be used.
• Almost all bedridden patients complain of loss of appetite.
• Lack of activity.
• General loss of interest in life and side-effects of various medicines play havoc with the appetite of patients. It’s important to keep them on a healthy diet to boost their immunity and energy levels.
• Bowel and bladder related problems like urine tract infections, constipation and diarrhoea are common health issues.

Care for a bedridden patient: The challenges

Caring for a bedridden patient can prove to be an uphill task. Knowing that the patient — a loved one — is dependent on you for all routine daily activities can become overwhelming. Sooner or later it starts taking a toll on the person who has taken up this onerous responsibility. It is like caring for an adult child. Naturally, making a bedridden patient comfortable requires providing both physical and emotional support. In spite of your best efforts, believe us it’s beyond the capacity of the inexperienced hands of an individual or even a family.

Comfort, personal hygiene, medication, treatment, food, exercise, and companionship, are some of the daily needs of a bedridden patient. Those looking after the patient and providing care have to be on their toes round the clock.

Some of the care taking needs clinical skills of a qualified and experienced medical professional. Suctioning and cleaning the airway, feeding through food pipes, dressing the bed sore wounds, and urinary catheter are expected to be handled by nurses.

Yet, sometimes they could be at a loss to tackle certain situations. It becomes too much for one person to provide the required care to the bedridden person, resulting in caregiver stress. At this point, the caregiver would be in need of a helping hand. In such circumstances, home-based healthcare services are the best option. This mode of providing care to the bedridden and his/her family is now gaining wide acceptance in India.

Risks faced by bedridden patients

• Bedridden patients develop bedsores or pressure sores, which worsen with time if left untreated.
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• Due to inactivity, the patient could develop blood clots in veins. If this travels to the lungs, heart or brain, it can lead to strokes.

Bedsores begin with very mild redness on the skin. If left unattended, these become painful and turn into a serious medical condition. It’s very important to keep a check on bedsores. A qualified, well-trained care-giver would know how best to prevent bedsores as well as to treat them (where it has already broken out).

The Do’s and Don’ts for bedridden patients

• Preventing bed sores: Perform daily skin inspection to check for reddening of the skin, especially in bony areas like knees, hips, shoulders, ears, tailbone, and buttocks.
• Keep skin clean and dry: Clean the skin with mild soap and water; pat dry.
• Moist the skin: Use body lotion to keep the skin lubricated. Use powder to dry the folds of the skins, such as armpits and under the breast.
• Bedding and linen should be changed daily: In case of bed wetting, change the wet sheets immediately.
• Keep the patient hydrated: Dehydration can prove fatal.
• Take nutritious diet: Healthy and nutritious diet is very important to boost the patient’s immunity. Keep a diary to record all meals taken.
• Do strengthening exercises: To prevent muscle weakness, exercises should be done, keeping in perspective the patient’s condition. If the patient can walk a little, help him/her walk around as per convenience.
• Take massages: Deep massages can help prevent blood circulation-related complications. Light massages are ideal for painful muscles and prevention of bedsores.
• Positioning: Reposition the patient every 2 hours. Never drag the patient; always lift.
• Keep limbs elevated: Both hands and legs should be kept a little elevated to prevent swelling and help blood circulation.
• Sit up: Sitting up is also important for the patient. If the condition of the patient permits, he/she should sit up every now and then.

Must Read: Treatment of Bedsores at Home

Taking up home-based health care services would ensure all-round care for bedridden patients. Also, a defined health care plan ensures that the patient receives quality care from experienced attendants. Medical professionals — nurses, nutritionists, and physiotherapists — would attend to the many needs of the patient, without taxing the family members.

Special bedsore management techniques are used to help keep the patient comfortable and bedsores at bay.

What to do in case of bedsores?

In case a bedridden patient has started developing bedsores, it is highly recommended that qualified care-givers be called in. Home-based health care service is just the right solution for such critical patients.

Help is just a call away

HCAH has a unique bedsore care service, specially designed for bed-ridden patients. The expertise/experience of the HCAH staff in managing bedridden or end-of-life patients is commendable. They have already helped many patients and their families during such difficult days.

HCAH is India’s leading home-based health care service. Taking care of bedridden patients or providing care to end-of-life patients are among its specialized services.