Caring for bedridden patients with excess weight: features you need to know about

Unfortunately, it often happens that a person with excess weight is forced to be bedridden. This happens for many reasons, for example, due to diabetes, injury, and heart disease. With an extreme degree of obesity, a man or woman cannot get out of bed, then the help of relatives is needed. Caring for bedridden patients with excess weight requires certain knowledge and skills, but you can order such a service as home care assistance in Brooklyn or Nassau. You can evaluate your willingness to take care of a relative with excess weight in our article.

Features of caring for a bedridden patient with excess weight 

It is not easy to provide care for a bedridden patient with excess weight if you do not have the physical strength and at least the most standard and necessary knowledge. Those caring for people with obesity should consider a number of factors:

1.When a person has excess weight, his body releases much more moisture than the body of a patient without extra pounds. Without daily hygiene procedures, under the influence of strong sweating, intertrigo and bedsores can occur. For this reason, it is recommended to apply an antiseptic to the skin of such people and treat the folds in the groin and armpits.

2. Folds become an ideal place for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. This leads to damage to the skin. To prevent this, it is necessary to regularly wipe and lubricate the skin in places where wrinkles form. For this purpose, ointments and creams against intertrigo are ideal. In addition, simple wipes that can be used as pads are also effective, thereby preventing skin contact on both sides of the folds.

3.Body washing is a mandatory procedure for caring for a patient with excess weight. However, overweight people can’t do it without help. You can perform wiping, and use an inflatable mini-bath to wash hair. At the same time, a bedridden patient still needs to be washed regularly in the bath. A professional caregiver can help you with this.

4.Some kinds of difficulties arise in the process of changing bed linen, and when changing clothes for an obese person. In this matter, you can not do without the help of assistants. There must be at least two of them.

5.Another problem that arises when caring for a patient with excess weight is edema. They form when a lot of water accumulates in the soft tissues, which causes problems with blood circulation and breathing. Often, patients with excess weight are diagnosed with difficulties with lymphatic drainage. To solve them, you need to treat the body with special means that the doctor will prescribe.

6.Difficulties with breathing also cause a lot of inconvenience in overweight people. A person who cares for an overweight old person needs to monitor his position. It is extremely difficult for him to be on his back, as snoring, shortness of breath, and even apnea occur.

7.In the process of caring for a bedridden patient with excess weight, you need to be as careful as possible, including in matters of diet.

8.If your relative has diabetes, it is important to constantly monitor the level of sugar in his blood.

Complications that may occur in bedridden patients with excess weight

Due to excess weight in bedridden patients, various pathologies can develop, including:

1. Bone degradation. It occurs due to a lack of physical activity. For prevention, a set of exercises should be performed daily to promote the development of joints and muscles.

2. Thrombosis. Due to the reduced activity, blood enters the vessels more slowly, which leads to the formation of clots. In the event of a blood clot detachment, it is carried away by the bloodstream, and this is fraught with the closure of the vessel and, consequently, death. In order to prevent thrombosis, the patient should do exercises, massage the feet, and regularly raise his arms and legs. It is recommended to use elastic bandages for the legs.

3. Joint contracture. It occurs due to a sedentary lifestyle. For prevention, a person with excess weight should do exercises aimed at maintaining mobility, as well as undergo a course of physiotherapy.

4. Pneumonia. When the human body is in a horizontal position, the pressure on the lungs increases, the depth of breathing becomes lower, and mucus begins to accumulate in the lungs. To prevent the disease, a caregiver should ventilate the room as often as possible, and make sure that a person repeatedly takes deep breaths during the day. It is also recommended to seat the person and rub his back. This will help improve blood circulation and avoid hypothermia and draft.

Tips for caring for a bedridden patient with excess weight

There are many difficulties in caring for bedridden patients, regardless of their body weight. Not only the patient himself is exhausted, but also a caregiver involved in this titanic work.

To simplify the care of a bedridden patient with excess weight, you can use the following tips:

1. Equip the bed with special bars. This will simplify many aspects of care.
2. Buy a special anti-decubitus mattress or bed with a massage system. Try to constantly invite a massage therapist or a specialist in physical therapy.
3. Monitor the patient’s diet. Due to the forced immobility, he will begin to quickly gain weight, which will lead to the fact that patient care will be complicated.
4. Find a caregiver. It is recommended to look for a caregiver who has enough physical strength to care for an obese person.

Final thoughts

Caring for a loved one who has excess weight can be a real test for his relatives. To satisfy the needs of such a person, it is necessary to have a lot of time and physical strength. Most likely you will need to invite a caregiver for help. Galaxy Home Care provides quality care for old people with a variety of health conditions, including those with obesity. You can be sure of the competence of employees, as all candidates are carefully selected and have the appropriate education.