Bedpans are made for patients and elderly who cannot easily get up and go to the bathroom due to injury, illness or infirmity. It also makes bowel movements easier and hygienic. If you are using a bedpan for someone, then you have to remember to be physically gentle and emotionally sensitive.
Positioning a bedpan can be quite intimidating, if you haven’t used it before. However, following the procedure will make it much easier for you. You can even hire a female nurse for home care, if you are not good at giving a bedpan.
- Preparation of the bedpan procedure
Start by greeting the patient and tell them that you are going to provide them with the bedpan. Then, wash your hands properly with hot water and soap. Dry them and put gloves on. Provide privacy to the patient in the entire procedure.
You can also cover the sheets beneath the patient with a waterproof protector. Then, warm the bedpan while filling it with warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes and then later dump the water. Sprinkle the edge of the bedpan with talcum. This will help you to slide the bedpan easily. However, avoid using the talcum powder if the patient has any open wounds in that area.
Then, fill the bedpan with water or place toilet paper. You can even grease it with vegetable oil as this will make it easy for you to cleanup later. Once you are done with this, ask the patient to remove his/her pants. You can even hire nurses for home for the procedure.
- Placing the Bedpan
- Lower the bed as much as you can as this will reduce the risk of injury if the patient falls during this procedure. Take guidance from Avanta healthcare for the same.
- Ask the patient to lie in a supine position with knees bent and feet flat on the mattress.
- Set the clean bedpan next to the patient’s hips.
- Ask the patient to lift their hips. If they do not have the strength to do that themselves, you will have to help them move on their sides.
- Slide the bedpan under the patient’s hips.
- If the patient has raised his/her hips on their own, then instruct them to ease down on it once the bedpan is in place while giving your hand support to them. If this gets too much, always look for home care services.
- If you have helped the patient turn sideways, then slide the bedpan next to their buttocks. Make sure that the open end of the bedpan is pointing towards the patient’s feet. Then, gently roll over the patient on to their back and simultaneously hold the bedpan close to their body.
- Now, raise the head of the bed to bring up the body in to a natural toileting position.
- Then, place the toilet paper near the patient and then give them privacy.
- Put a bell near the patient so that they can ring it once done.
For the ease of patient, you must give them treatment of physiotherapy so that they can move easily during bedpan.
- Removing the bedpan
Wash your hands again and put on new gloves. Get warm water and other sanitary cloths with you. Lower the head of the bed and now remove the bedpan carefully in the same fashion as you slid it. Clean the area and clean the patient first. Then, clean the bedpan and sanitize your hands thoroughly.
If you are looking for help for a bed-ridden patient, then get in touch with Avanta medical for further guidance.