Key points of daily care for the elderly include

Basic physiological care has the highest priority, dynamic management of chronic diseases, psychological and emotional needs are equally important, and prevention and control of accidental risks such as falls. All other details are centered around these four cores and are practical content adjusted based on the individual conditions of the elderly.

I have been working as a front-line nurse in a community elderly care service station for 4 years, and I have seen too many examples of family members following the unified "nursing list" on the Internet and getting into trouble. Last month, the child of Aunt Zhang, who lived in Building 3, spent several thousand on various imported nutritional products and supplements, watching the old man eat as ordered every day, but forgot to replace the nice suede floor mat at the bathroom door. The old man stepped on it and slipped when he got up at night. He lay down for more than two months with a broken femoral neck. Half of his originally strong body collapsed, and the gain was not worth the loss.

Let’s first talk about basic physiological care, which is most easily turned into a “standardized process”. Many people say that the diet of the elderly should be "mainly light and light with less oil and salt" and that drinking water should be "8 cups of 1500ml a day". In fact, it is not universally applicable. Take drinking water as an example. There is indeed a school of thought in the industry that healthy elderly people can reduce the risk of blood clots and constipation by consuming 1500-1700ml of water every day. However, if you are an elderly person with heart failure or chronic renal insufficiency, drinking too much will increase the burden on your kidneys and heart. Last year, I met a family member who forced Uncle Li with kidney disease to drink 8 glasses of water every day. As a result, he was hospitalized with edema. The same goes for eating salt. Generally, elderly people with high blood pressure need to control salt, but those with hyponatremia themselves need to supplement sodium appropriately. Eating salt-free meals for a long time can lead to fatigue, drowsiness, and even impaired consciousness. There is also the matter of bathing. Many family members wash the elderly every day because they love to be clean. In fact, the sebum layer of the elderly is thin, so washing 1-2 times a week in winter is enough. Washing too much will destroy the skin barrier. I have seen too many elderly people who are so dry and itchy that they can't sleep all night.

Let's talk about chronic disease management. Many family members think that "taking medicine on time" will complete the task. In fact, this is far from the case. I have met many elderly people who have been taking antihypertensive drugs for five or six years. They never measure their blood pressure at home. When the autumn and winter seasons change, their blood pressure soars to 180 without feeling it. They only discover the problem when they are dizzy and sent to the hospital. There are also two different care ideas here. One is to put the medicines that the elderly need to take into medicine boxes in advance according to morning, noon and evening, and put a big label on them. This is suitable for the elderly with poor memory and low acceptance of electronic products. ； The other is to use a smart pill box with a reminder function, or even bind it to your children's mobile phones. If you miss a meal, a notification will be sent automatically. It is suitable for elderly people who live alone who are willing to get involved in new things and whose children are not around. There is no one that is absolutely better. It is useful to choose one that the elderly are willing to cooperate with. Another reminder: if the elderly want to take over-the-counter medicines for colds or headaches, they must ask a doctor first. Many commonly used ibuprofen and cold medicines are taken together with anticoagulants and antihypertensive medicines, which can easily lead to problems.

Many people equate "nursing" with "taking care of the body." In fact, the psychological and emotional impact is much greater than many people think. Grandpa Wang, whom we contacted before, has children who work in other places. They earn a lot of money every month and are provided with the best food and clothing. However, the old man sits at home every day in a daze and eats little. Later, we accidentally discovered that he used to write calligraphy at work, so we took him to a calligraphy class in the community. After half a month, his whole complexion changed. Now he still practices calligraphy with a group of old men and women every day. Of course, this does not mean that all elderly people have to participate in group activities. There is also a school of thought that for introverted elderly people who are accustomed to living alone, forcing them to dance square dances and participate in social activities will cause a psychological burden. It is better to let them do what they want. If they are willing to play with flowers and plants at home, buy them flower pots with seeds, and if they are willing to listen to plays, buy them a better radio. Whatever makes them comfortable.

Finally, let’s talk about accident prevention and control that everyone is most concerned about. The most common one is falls. Don’t think that just installing handrails and buying a pair of non-slip shoes will make everything fine. I have seen too many elderly people wearing non-slip shoes fall on unfixed floor mats. The floor mats at home must have anti-slip rubber patterns on the back and will not shift when you step on them. They are not as good-looking as practical. Also, when the elderly get up at night, do not stand up suddenly. It is best to sit on the bed for 30 seconds and stand next to the bed for 30 seconds before walking until you feel faint. This little habit can reduce 80% of falls caused by orthostatic hypotension. Of course, not all protective equipment is suitable for everyone. For example, the protective belt to prevent falls may make elderly people with mobility problems feel constrained and unable to move when they walk, making them more likely to fall. On the contrary, it is suitable for elderly people with hemiplegia and unstable gait.

To be honest, there is no standard answer when it comes to nursing care for the elderly. Each elderly person’s physical condition, personality and habits are different. Observing and asking the elderly about their feelings is much more useful than following the perfect list on the Internet. After all, my biggest feeling after being a nurse for so long is that “making the elderly comfortable” is always more important than “doing it right”.