A collection of daily care tips for the elderly

As long as they adhere to the three principles of "complying with the pace of recession, avoiding high-frequency risks, and taking care of emotional priorities", ordinary families can do more than 90% of daily care at home. Many seemingly difficult problems can be solved with some down-to-earth tips.

A while ago, I helped Aunt Zhang downstairs adjust her father's eating utensils. The old man always choked and coughed, and in severe cases he even suffered from aspiration pneumonia. So he changed to an angled spoon, made the porridge thicker than rice milk, and reminded him to chew 10 times before swallowing every mouthful of rice. After half a month, he didn't choke again. There are indeed two different tendencies in the academic circles regarding the diet of the elderly: one believes that the elderly have weak digestive ability and should switch to soft liquid food; the other advocates that as long as the elderly still have more than three natural teeth that can bite/qualified removable dentures, they should try to make the food into "soft but not rotten" pieces, such as steamed pumpkin cubes and braised boneless short ribs. On the contrary, it can exercise the chewing muscles and reduce the speed of facial muscle atrophy. Everyone can choose according to the situation of the elderly in their own family. There is no need to impose a unified standard. Oh, and there is another little detail about eating. The table for the old man to eat should not be too high. It is best to be 5 centimeters lower than his chest when he sits down. He does not have to lower his head to swallow, and the probability of choking can be reduced by half. I used to place two old dictionaries for my grandfather to adjust the table height. He said that it is much more comfortable to eat.

Many people still fall down despite having handrails all over the walls in their homes. In fact, the most likely place for accidents is not the slippery area of ​​the bathroom, but the 30 seconds after sitting up in the middle of the night - the elderly are prone to dizziness due to orthostatic hypotension. Several elderly people I have met who have fallen and fractured their bones were injured when they wanted to get up to pour water in the middle of the night, so they stood up immediately after sitting up. Here’s a little trick: install a sensor night light on the bedside of the elderly person’s bed that is within easy reach, place non-slip slippers with suction cups next to it, and put a striking note saying “sit for 30 seconds before standing”. This is more effective than installing too many corridor handrails. There is also controversy in the industry about whether to wear anti-fall vests for the elderly: one group believes that the vest has a good cushioning effect and can protect the hip bone, which is the most vulnerable part to fracture in the event of a fall. The other group believes that the vest is too heavy and will increase the burden of walking for the elderly. Elderly people with little activity and poor sense of balance can wear them. It is not necessary for those who have to go out for more than an hour a day. It is a higher priority to choose a pair of anti-slip shoes with deep shoe patterns and heels no more than 2 cm. By the way, when buying clothes for the elderly, don’t just look at the materials that are comfortable. Try to choose models with front snap fasteners, not pull-over models, or ones with metal zippers. First, the elderly’s fingers are not flexible, and snap fasteners are easier to operate than zippers. Second, in case of a fall, you need to take off your clothes for first aid. The front snap fasteners can be opened with just a pull and will not delay things. This was specially reminded by the nurse at the community clinic before, and it is particularly practical.

I once had a friend's grandmother who stayed in bed for half a year without developing any bedsores. Her trick was not to buy an anti-bedsore air mattress worth several hundred dollars. Every time she turned over, she used a warm cotton towel to wipe the protruding bones such as the hip bones, tail vertebrae, and shoulder blades for 30 seconds, and then applied some talc-free corn talcum powder. It was more effective than many expensive butt creams. Of course, I have to mention here that there are different opinions on whether talcum powder can be used: some say that powdery products are easy to be inhaled into the respiratory tract, and they recommend the use of oily diaper cream. Some say that as long as you avoid the mouth and nose, talcum powder has a better drying effect than oily creams and is less likely to cause sweating. You can try it on the inner forearm of an elderly person for a day first, and then use it if there is no allergic reaction.

Don't think that nursing only involves eating, drinking, and defecation. Emotional matters are more important than anything else. My mother used to complain that my grandma deliberately spilled water on the ground, but later I found out that it was grandma who did it on purpose - my mother was busy at that time, and there was basically no other communication except delivering food and asking a few questions every day. The old man just wanted to find some excuse to let her stay for two more minutes. Many elderly people will deliberately "look for trouble". In fact, they are afraid of being ignored. Here is a little trick. Usually arrange some "small tasks" for the elderly, such as asking him to help you pick vegetables or calculate the water and electricity bills for the month. Even if he makes a mistake, don't correct him. He feels that he is useful, and his mood is smooth, and he eats and sleeps well, which is more effective than any health care products. Oh, and there are currently two views on whether to care for the elderly as a "special group": one believes that we should try our best to help them do everything well and reduce the burden; the other believes that as long as the elderly can do things independently, let them do it by themselves, which can maintain their ability to take care of themselves. My own experience is that you don't need to be special. For example, if he can carry the bowl by himself when eating, don't hand it to your hand again and again. When walking downstairs, if he can walk by himself, don't support him. Instead, it will make him feel that he is not a burden.

In fact, none of these tips are high-tech. The core is to observe the daily habits of the elderly. Don't just follow the unified standards on the Internet. What suits your own family is the best. If you really encounter a problem that you are not sure about, such as the elderly suddenly choking and coughing more often, walking suddenly unsteadily, or his personality suddenly becomes irritable, don't rely on tricks to deal with it, go directly to the hospital and see a doctor for investigation, which is safer than anything else.