When a patient is in a hospital bed, they need to be treated with great care & comfort. You have to take care of all of their needs to ensure they recover as soon as possible.
Sometimes, the patient is in such a worse condition that they can’t take a bath themselves. In such a case, the most important thing is their personal hygiene. You have to give them a bed bath to keep them neat & clean so that they won’t develop any other disease.
We have received a lot of questions from Malaysia that what is the best height for a hospital bed while giving a bed bath to a senior? In this article, our experts will clear up everything in your mind. We will tell you all you need to know about giving a bed bath to seniors.
Table of Contents
What is the best bed height for giving a bed bath to a senior?
The optimal bed height for giving a bed bath to a senior should be at such a height where you can peacefully give a bad bath without hurting your back.
It should not be too much down so that you have to bend down your back to give a bath. It will hurt your back muscles. Also, it should not be too much upwards so you always have to stretch your muscles upwards while giving a bath.
So the bed should be somewhere in the middle where you can comfortably give a bed bath without getting tired.
Moreover, it also depends upon the condition of the patient. If the doctor has advised you not to put them in a certain position then you should take care of that while adjusting the height of the bed as well.
Best way to give a bed bath to a senior patient
Here are all the steps that you should follow to successfully give a bad bath to a senior patient. You can follow all the steps exactly to make the whole process nice & smooth.
Get the required things
First of all, make a list of all the things that you are going to need during the bed bath and get them all together. It will save you & the patient from unnecessary inconvenience during the bed bath. Here’s a list of what you are going to need:
- Soft & clean towels.
- A thermometer.
- A waterproof sheet to prevent the bed from getting wet.
- A jug for containing the water.
- Soap & dry shampoo.
- Body lotion.
- A table to place all these things.
Prepare the Patient for Bed Bath
Once you have gathered all the things required for the bath, the next step is to prepare the patient for it.
Check if the condition of the patient is suitable for giving them a bad bath or not. If you are not sure, you can consult a doctor as well. Next, you should close all the windows and doors to ensure complete privacy. Then adjust the bed at a height where you can easily give a bed bath without any discomfort.
Remove any jewelry that the patient is wearing and keep it in a safe place. Put a waterproof sheet under the patient so the bed doesn’t get wet with water. Make sure that the patient is completely safe and should not fell off the bed during the bath.
Once you have taken all these measures, you can then start giving a bed bath to the patient.
Start Giving the Bed Bath
Before you start the process, you need to tell the patient about what you are going to do and how it is beneficial for their health. It will build their confidence in you.
Clean your hands and start undressing the patient. If they can do it themselves then just let them do it. After that, make the patient lie on their back and open their legs slightly. Make sure to cover the patient’s body with a sheet to give them their due respect & privacy.
Then you can start with washing the hands, face, arms, armpits, neck, and back of the body. If the patient wants to do it themselves then let them do as much as they want. Always be gentle with the patient and keep them comfortable throughout the whole process. Use your hands as if you are giving them a gentle massage.
Take a wipe and clean all of their private and anal areas. Again, you should keep their body covered with towels so that you do not end up violating their dignity and self-respect.
Process after the Bath
Once you have completed the bath, then here’s what you should do next.
Start with dressing up the patient. Again, if they want to dress up themselves then let them do as much as they can. After that, perform the other formalities like brushing their hair and teeth. Then apply the lotion on their different body parts like hands, arms, and feet. It will keep their dry skin moist and help them stay fresh.
Now it is time to take all of your equipment and store them back at a safe place from where you can easily access them again for further use. Make sure to dump all the wipes completely. If the bedspread has gotten wet then you should change it as well. Wash your hands again to ensure there are no germs on them.
Once you are done with the whole process then you can ask the patient if they are feeling okay or not & whether if they need anything from you.
Final Words
If we conclude our whole discussion in this article, then here’s what we got:
The best height for a hospital bed while giving a bed bath to a senior should be the one where you feel completely comfortable. It should not be too down or too up where you face discomfort. Rather, it should be somewhere in the middle where you can maintain your natural posture and give a bath with ease.
You can also follow our step-by-step guidelines given above to give a bed bath to a senior patient. It will help you do everything correctly and smoothly.