When a seriously ill person appears in a family, the whole way of life at home changes dramatically. He is not able to serve himself and satisfy basic needs. Feels physically handicapped and highly dependent on others.
Every day, such a person needs to be looked after, psychologically supported, and assisted in maintaining personal hygiene. Proper feeding of seriously ill patients is one of the most important elements in ensuring their vital functions and maintaining a comfortable state. This process is very different from eating a he althy person.
Features of care and feeding
Severely ill patients almost always suffer from various disorders. It manifests:
- sleep disorder;
- breathing failures;
- motor disorders;
- inactive;
- uncontrolled excretion of waste products from the body;
- problematic organization of the process of eating;
- Inadequate hazard assessment.
Partial or complete lack of movement leads to the appearance of bedsores, pneumonia and congestion in the lungs, atrophy of muscle tissue, and injuries. And improper feeding of seriously ill patients causes constipation, diarrhea, impaired urine output, leading to infection in the genitals.
In order to minimize the consequences of an abnormal condition of a person and not worsen his well-being with additional problems that have arisen, it is necessary to ensure proper care and food intake. To do this, you must adhere to certain rules:
- maintain a comfortable psychological atmosphere;
- do not disturb physical peace;
- prevent pressure sores;
- ventilate the room so that unpleasant odors do not cause nausea while eating;
- keep he alth changes under control;
- monitor stools and urine output;
- help maintain personal hygiene (be sure to brush your teeth);
- Change bed sheets regularly;
- conduct affordable exercise therapy;
- do a light massage regularly.
Feeding a seriously ill person in bed has its own characteristics. If a person is able to somehow eat on his own, then this independence should be encouraged, helping him only as needed. Let the process of eating be long, but it is useful for the patient to realize that he is not completely helpless. For such patients, a special table is bought, which is placed on the bed. The dishes must not slip and notbeat.
If a person is not able to eat himself, then artificial feeding is carried out. Most often, food enters the body through a tube. For certain indications, nutrients are given by enema or intravenously.
Features of the diet
Feeding seriously ill patients should not contribute to constipation or diarrhea. Overeating is not allowed. After all, a sedentary person gains weight very quickly. And every extra kilogram makes it difficult to turn over and lift the patient.
Malnutrition leads to an even greater decrease in an already weakened immune system. The vital systems of the body begin to function even worse.
In order for the nutrition of a seriously ill person to be normal, one should:
- feed him 4-5 times a day;
- keep portions small;
- to carry out mandatory heat treatment of products;
- keep food fresh;
- serve s alty snacks to increase appetite;
- check the temperature of the food (they should be warm);
- choose bones from fish and meat;
- prefer soft, light and lean foods;
- Grate vegetables and fruits.
The patient's diet should have enough protein and vitamins. Under control, you need to keep fluid intake in the right amount - at least one and a half liters a day.
A person's abnormal condition can greatly change their preferences. Food you used to likestarts to disgust. Some people stop tasting foods. Therefore, you need to be interested in the patient in what he would like to eat, and respect his choice.
Forbidden
There are a number of foods that should not be given. The seriously ill should not use:
- lard and pork;
- duck and goose;
- mustard;
- canned fish and meat;
- pepper;
- alcoholic drinks.
You can't force feed or water a person. In case of refusal of food, you should simply moisten your lips with water and wait until your appetite appears. Fasting days are useful, but in case of constant unwillingness to eat, you should consult a doctor for advice.
Food serving sequence
In addition to observing the peculiarities of the diet, the sequence in serving food is also important. Feeding seriously ill patients has its own rules:
- liquids are served first, then solids;
- do not mix boiled foods with raw;
- first of all, you need to give foods that are digested faster (fruits, vegetables);
- then sour-milk, bakery, meat dishes are offered (the body spends one, two and a half and five hours on their processing, respectively);
- if after eating any food a person feels discomfort, it is worth switching to specialized liquid mixtures.
Meat and dairy products or eggs should not be eaten with potatoes or bread. These items are served separately.
Feeding a seriously ill patient: an algorithm
If a recumbent person is able to eat naturally, that's great. However, this process must be organized correctly.
- Tell the patient what he will do now.
- Ventilate the room.
- Bring semi-liquid food, cooled to forty degrees.
- Wash your hands in a container of water and dry them.
- Put spoons, dishes, drinkers.
- Raise the seriously ill person to a sitting position (if possible).
- Cover him with a bib.
- Feed slowly, spoon 2/3 full of food. With its tip, first touch the lower lip so that the patient opens his mouth.
- For easier swallowing, give water while supporting the head.
- After serving each serving, a pause must be made so that the person can chew the food.
- As needed, wipe your mouth with a tissue.
Feeding a seriously ill person from a spoon and a bowl requires a lot of patience. You can not get annoyed, rush the patient. People in this state are mentally unstable. A person on a nervous basis may begin vomiting, panic attack, involuntary urination occur.
After finishing the meal, shake the crumbs off the bed, wipe the patient's hands and help rinse the mouth.
Nsogastric tube feeding
In especially serious cases, a person cannot eat naturally. Thenthe patient is fed artificially. For this, a thin bending tube is used - a probe. It is brought into the esophagus through the nasopharynx.
Feeding seriously ill patients through a tube is carried out only with liquid products. It can be broths, juices, milk.
At first, up to two hundred milliliters of liquid is poured at a time, and meals occur up to six times a day. After a while, the frequency of feeding can be reduced to three times. Portions are doubled.
Feeding a seriously ill patient (algorithm) through a nasogastric tube consists of sequential actions.
- The person needs to explain all the manipulations.
- Wash your hands.
- Bring food.
- Assist to semi-sitting position.
- Clamp the probe with a clamp.
- Draw liquid into the syringe and direct it into the hole in the tube.
- Remove clamp.
- Introduce food slowly.
- Rinse the probe with a little water (using a clean syringe) and cap it.
After the procedure, help the person into a comfortable position.
Compliance with the rules of feeding seriously ill patients helps to maintain their he alth at an optimal level. While feeding in any way, the patient should not be distracted by talking, turning on music, TV or very bright lights.
