Dependent Resident Care: An Overview

Introduction to Dependent Resident Care

• Dependent resident care involves providing assistance to individuals who cannot perform activities of daily living (ADL).
• ADLs include eating, dressing, bathing, and using the bathroom.
• Caregivers offer support to residents unable to carry out their routine.
• Care services include assistance with washing, dressing, toileting, and medication management.
• Ensuring residents have access to proper nutrition and grooming is part of care
• Care also involves assistance with transportation and transferring from one place to another.

Care Plans

• Care plans outline a resident’s needs, preferences, and medications.
• Patients requiring dependent care assistance include those needing palliative care, dialysis care, and stroke care.
• Palliative care aims to improve quality of life and reduce suffering for people with serious illnesses.
• Patients under palliative care have conditions such as cancer, heart disease, cystic fibrosis, dementia, end-stage liver disease, kidney failure, lung disease, Parkinson's disease, and stroke.
• Dialysis care involves treatments, diet, and lifestyle changes to aid those with kidney failure.
• Stroke care combines treatments and rehabilitation to help people recover, including medicine, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

Placement and Assessment

• Resident category placement is made on whether they are Independent, Dependent, Bed Ridden (terminal illness), physically disabled, or mentally disordered.
• Condition assessment includes physical, cognitive, emotional status, and mental health assessment.

Daily Care Planning

• Monitoring daily health is the first step in daily care planning.
• Personal hygiene and grooming are also essential, including bathing, dressing, and feeding.
• Mobility techniques, in terms of functional transfer and general mobility, are important.
• General mobility addresses bowel and bladder management.
• Artificial device assistance can involve wheelchairs or walking sticks.
• Managing medications is part of daily planning and environmental modification is the sixth step.

Monitoring Daily Health Check-Up

• Professional caregivers must monitor vital signs of dependent residents.
• Healthcare providers routinely check 5 main vital signs: body temperature, oxygen level, blood pressure, glucose level, height, and weight.
• The normal body temperature is generally accepted as 37°C.
• A temperature of 37.9 degrees Celsius is considered a low-grade fever.
• Blood oxygen level describes the amount of oxygen circulating in blood and is measured using a pulse oximeter.
• An ideal oxygen level is 96%-99%, and a heart rate between 50 and 90 bpm.
• Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing against artery walls, using systolic and diastolic pressure.
• Normal blood pressure varies through out the day and increases through activity
• High blood pressure (hypertension) indicates that the blood pressure is higher than normal.
• Low blood pressure (hypotension) has the converse indication.
• Normal blood pressure range is 120/80 mmHg.
• High blood pressure may increase heart disease, heart attack, and stroke risk.
• Low blood pressure can cause dizziness and fainting.
• Normal blood glucose level tests can be separated in 3 tests: Normal, fasting blood and random blood-sugar measurements, each with its own target figure.
• Low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) may be dangerous, needing immediate treatment, and includes dizziness, sweating, palpitations, and blurred vision.
• High blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) indicates and increased risk of diabetes.
• Height is measured in units like inches or centimeters, and it represents the linear dimension of a person from head to toe
• Weight is the gravitational force acting on a person's body mass which is measured in pounds and kilograms.

More on the list of Daily Care Planning

• Personal hygiene and grooming involve practices for maintaining cleanliness and appearance.
• This includes bathing regularly, oral and hair care, nail care, and clothing changes crucial for preventing infections, promoting comfort, and maintaining self-esteem.
• Geriatric personal hygiene should consider mobility limitations, sensory changes, medical conditions, personal respect and dignity and ensuring proper bathing, grooming, and other associated processes

Mobility Issues

• Refers to methods used to move or assist someone, that also addresses limited mobility, often involving proper body positioning, using assistive devices, and minimizing strain on both the caregiver and the person being assisted.
• Functional transfer is a technique where a sliding board is used to help transfer patients from a bed.
• General mobility refers to the ability to move around without and with ease and without pain.

Bowel and Bladder Management

• Strategies are used to manage urinary incontinence and bowel irregularities of older adults.

Artificial Device Assistance

• Artificial Device Assistance are used by older adults to improve mobility and independence and include items such as Canes, Walkers, crutches and and wheelchair.
• Managing medications is an important process when caring for older adults.
• Polypharmacy is common in elderly patient as it addresses the risks and process for patients taking a variety of medications.
• Managing drug therapy involves assessing the particular goals of elderly patients through a safe and systematic approach.
• Environmental modification is a process that makes a building safer, more accessible, and more usable. Ways to do this include
• Removing clutter and tripping hazards
• Installing grab bars in bathrooms and near stairs
• Adequate lighting, especially nightlights
• Non-slip floor surfaces
• Proper stair design with handrails
• Daily toiletries for geriatric patients consist of basic arrangements for items of hygiene.
• Caregiver skills include qualities such as passion, and attention to compliance and safety.