PRACTICAL HOME NURSING
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: REASON FOR THE BOOK PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS AND SYMBOLS CARE FOR THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING ASSISTANCE WITH PERSONAL CLEANSING PROCEDURE ONE: MAKING OR CHANGING THE OLDER PERSON’S BED WITH THE PERSON STILL IN BED PROCEDURE TWO: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING A WASH IN BED OR CHAIR, INCLUDING CARE OF HANDS AND FEET PROCEDURE THREE: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO WASH IN THE BATH OR SHOWER, INCLUDING CARE OF HANDS AND FEET PROCEDURE FOUR: ASSISTING THE BED-BOUND OLDER PERSON TO WASH HIS OR HER HAIR PROCEDURE FIVE: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON WITH CLEANSING OF THE MOUTH, INCLUDING CARE OF DENTURES PROCEDURE SIX: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING EYE CARE CARE FOR THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING ASSISTANCE WITH MOVEMENT PROCEDURE SEVEN: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO MOVE UP THE BED PROCEDURE EIGHT: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO MOVE FROM A LYING TO A SITTING POSITION PROCEDURE NINE: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON WITH A LATERAL TRANSFER WHILE THEY ARE IN A LYING POSITION PROCEDURE TEN: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO SIT BACK IN THE CHAIR PROCEDURE ELEVEN: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON FROM A SITTING TO A STANDING POSITION PROCEDURE TWELVE: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO WALK CARE FOR THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING ASSISTANCE TO MAINTAIN NUTRITION AND ?UID INTAKE PROCEDURE THIRTEEN: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO EAT AND DRINK PROCEDURE FOURTEEN: NASOGASTRIC TUBE INSERTION AND POSITION CHECKING PROCEDURE FIFTEEN: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON WITH NUTRITION AND ?UID INTAKE VIA A NASOGASTRIC TUBE PROCEDURE SIXTEEN: CARE OF PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPICALLY GUIDED GASTROSTOMY (PEG) TUBE SITE UNTIL STOMA WELL ESTABLISHED (1–14 DAYS) PROCEDURE SEVENTEEN: CARE OF PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPICALLY GUIDED GASTROSTOMY (PEG) TUBE SITE WHEN STOMA WELL ESTABLISHED PROCEDURE EIGHTEEN: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON WITH NUTRITION AND ?UID INTAKE VIA A PERCUTANEOUS ENDOSCOPICALLY GUIDED GASTROSTOMY (PEG) TUBE CARE FOR THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING ASSISTANCE WITH TOILET NEEDS PROCEDURE NINETEEN: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO USE TOILET, COMMODE OR BEDPAN PROCEDURE TWENTY: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING BOWEL CARE: ADMINISTRATION OF SUPPOSITORIES PROCEDURE TWENTY-ONE: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING BOWEL CARE: ADMINISTRATION OF AN EVACUANT ENEMA PROCEDURE TWENTY-TWO: OBTAINING A SPECIMEN OF FAECES FOR OBSERVATION, ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS PROCEDURE TWENTY-THREE: OBTAINING A SPECIMEN OF URINE FOR OBSERVATION, ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS PROCEDURE TWENTY-FOUR: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON WITH CATHETER CARE PROCEDURE TWENTY-?VE: ASSISTING THE OLDER PERSON TO EMPTY A CATHETER BAG PROCEDURE TWENTY-SIX: OBTAINING A CATHETER SPECIMEN OF URINE FOR OBSERVATION, ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS CARE FOR THE OLDER PERSON REQUIRING OBSERVATION AND MONITORING PROCEDURE TWENTY-SEVEN: MEASURING AND RECORDING TEMPERATURE PROCEDURE TWENTY-EIGHT: MEASURING AND RECORDING TEMPERATURE USING A TYMPANIC THERMOMETER PROCEDURE TWENTY-NINE: MEASURING AND RECORDING BLOOD PRESSURE PROCEDURE THIRTY: MEASURING AND RECORDING PULSE PROCEDURE THIRTY-ONE: MEASURING AND RECORDING RESPIRATORY RATE CARE FOR THE OLDER PERSON AT THE END OF HIS OR HER LIFE PROCEDURE THIRTY-TWO: CARING FOR THE BODY OF THE OLDER PERSON FOLLOWING DEATH REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING INTRODUCTION REASON FOR THE BOOK THE AIM OF THIS BOOK IS TO HELP YOU TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO CARE FOR OLDER PEOPLE, PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF 65 IN BRITISH SOCIETY OLDER PEOPLE ARE A GROWING PROPORTION OF THE POPULATION SINCE THE 1930S THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OVER THE AGE OF HAS DOUBLED, AND NOW MAKE UP ONE ?FTH OF THE POPULATION BETWEEN 1995 AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OVER 80 IS SET TO INCREASE BY A HALF AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OVER 90 WILL DOUBLE IN HOSPITAL ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF BEDS ARE OCCUPIED BY PEOPLE OVER 65 (DOH 2001A) THIS BOOK STARTS WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE OLDER PERSON IN NEED OF CARE IT IS WRITTEN FOR ANYONE WHO IS A PRACTICAL CARER OF AN OLDER PERSON, AND WHO WOULD LIKE TO LEARN THE TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES NECESSARY FOR CARE YOU MAY BE A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL OR YOU MAY BE A FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND, AND THE OLDER PERSON YOU ARE CARING FOR MAY BE IN HOSPITAL, OR AT HOME OR IN A COMMUNITY NURSING HOME THE BOOK HAS DEVELOPED FROM THE AUTHORS’ OWN EXPERIENCES AS REGISTERED NURSES AND NURSE TEACHERS, AND OUR OWN INTERESTS IN CARING FOR OLDER PEOPLE ANN BRADSHAW IS CONCERNED WITH THE UNDERLYING ETHOS AND VALUES OF CARE AND, AS PART OF THIS, HOW NURSES ACHIEVE COMPETENCE IN CARE CLAIR MERRIMAN HAS A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR TEACHING CLINICAL SKILLS TO NURSING STUDENTS AND REGISTERED NURSES WHO NEED TO MAINTAIN AND UPDATE THEIR COMPETENCE IN ADDITION, BOTH AUTHORS HAVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF CARING FOR OLDER FAMILY MEMBERS WE HAVE BEEN HELPED IN PREPARING THIS BOOK BY VICKY MACARTHUR, WHO IS A QUALI?ED TRAINER IN MOVING AND HANDLING PROCEDURES IN THIS BOOK WE AIM TO OFFER A SYSTEMATIC STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO THE FUNDAMENTAL CARE NEEDS THAT AN OLDER PERSON MAY HAVE, AND THE PROCEDURAL STEPS YOU AS A CARER MIGHT TAKE TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS UP-TO-DATE EVIDENCE PROVIDES THE RATIONALE IT IS HOPED THIS WILL BE A USEFUL RESOURCE NOT ONLY FOR PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PURPOSES, IF YOU ARE LEARNING TO BE A NURSE OR CARE ASSISTANT, BUT ALSO IF YOU ARE CARING FOR A FRIEND OR RELATIVE AT HOME AS IT IS NOW RECOGNISED (DOH 2001A) THAT TO BE IN ONE’S OWN HOME FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE LEADS TO THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL, IT IS HOPED THAT THIS BOOK WILL BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE IN FURTHERING THIS AIM AND GIVING YOU CON?DENCE IN CARING FOR THE OLDER PERSON TO SIMPLIFY TERMS, THE BOOK WILL REFER TO THE PERSON WHO CARES AS ‘THE CARER’, WHETHER YOU ARE A TRAINED OR UNTRAINED PAID PROFESSIONAL OR A LAY CARER IN TWENTY-?RST-CENTURY BRITAIN, PAID CARE IS OFTEN DELIVERED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT NURSES THIS IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE AS PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES IN HEALTH CARE BECOME LESS ?XED (WANLESS 2002) BUT SUCH CHANGES REQUIRE APPROPRIATE TRAINING THE COMPETENT