Parental Nutrition (TPN) Some medical conditions prevent the body from absorbing nutrition through the GI tract. When that happens, the body cannot function properly without Parental Nutrition (PN) due to the effects of starvation. With starvation, tissues break down, wounds won’t heal, and the internal organs stop working properly. To prevent starvation’s effects, patients receive […]
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Managing Oral Secretions Many medical conditions produce thick secretions that are difficult for weak individuals to clear out of their lungs. These secretions block the airway passages preventing oxygen from entering the bloodstream. What causes this problem? Suctioning may be the only way to remove these secretions to allow a person to breathe. However,
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Tracheostomy Care at Home The normal pathway to receive air into the lungs and expel carbon dioxide is into the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. Suppose a blockage occurs anywhere along that path, preventing air from reaching the lung. An emergency surgical incision may be performed through the neck and into the trachea, creating an
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Breathing Therapy When someone is struggling to breathe, the diagnosis’s name may help the doctor determine the course of treatment, but for the caregiver, all you want to do is help them breathe easier. Therefore, it is often useful to become familiar with both the common and unusual symptoms of a condition and the “home
Abnormal Breath Sounds Noisy Breathing Normal breathing is quiet. When breathing is noisy, it’s considered an abnormal breath sound and often means something about the airway is making it more difficult for air to get through. Most of the time, the “something” is congestion that develops due to an infection, but it can also
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Using Proper Body Mechanics Knowing and using proper body mechanics helps you avoid hurting yourself. Without them, one wrong move can give you a lifetime of pain and suffering. *BODY MECHANICS ABC’s A- Adjust Equipment Height Adjust the height of any equipment you are using to allow you to work at a comfortable level. For
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Immobility – It’s a Big Deal for Lots of Reasons The human body works best when it’s in motion. In fact, some part of us is in motion almost all the time when our muscles, nerves, and skeleton function properly. All that movement is called mobility. It’s mobility that gives us the ability to eat,
How to Prevent Spreading Infections by Touching (Contact) an Object Directly or Indirectly Many infections spread through direct contact (touching the source) or indirect contact (touching something or someone who has contacted the object and has the organism on it.) The precautions for infections spread by contact require a barrier (i.e. something to prevent
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Preventing Skin Breakdown If your family member is immobile, they are at risk of developing skin breakdown. Learn the warning signs and ways to prevent breakdowns from occurring. Family Needs Information Information on skincare, immobility, and fall prevention are essential bits of information for all caregivers. If caring for someone fragile, a fall can lead
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Recognizing Skin Breakdown When Something Doesn’t Look Right, What Does It Mean? When the Skin Changes Color, What happens? When skin first starts to break down, one of the first things you see is a change in skin color due to a decrease in blood flow to the area. The pink skin makes
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I’ve been struggling since December 26 with being both the caregiver and needing care myself. I don’t usually get sick because I’m cautious regarding exposure to contagious situations. For example, I screen those who come to our home both for their symptoms and their possible exposure to others, and I do most of our shopping
Once upon a time, the world was a different place in America. Sons and daughters grew up, married, and lived in or close to the same neighborhoods where their parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents lived.
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