Caring for a person who is lying down

Elderly senior woman patients in hospital bed patients using smart phone call to descendant relatives feel happiness

The beginning of work as a caregiver for an elderly person is almost always difficult. These difficulties are related to the health of the client, the degree of independence and the type of medical conditions. Most people who need daily care struggle with diseases typical of old age, such as memory disorders, depression, Parkinson’s disease, […]

First aid in burns, poisoning and stroke

According to research, most accidents occur at home, so when caring for your client in a home environment, you should be prepared for a variety of incidents. After reading this article, you will learn how to respond properly in specific accidents. First aid for burns Burns are tissue damage caused by the action of high […]

Mindfulness

Mindfulness practice improves concentration and memory, helps to understand and accept one’s own emotions, and calms down. It is especially helpful for people who experience demanding living and working conditions on a daily basis. Nowadays, when stress and haste accompany us every day, developing effective methods of dealing with anxiety and difficult emotions seems to […]

Providing first aid in cases of respiratory distress and unconsciousness

Any emergency situation that causes a threat to a person’s health or life, an accident, an injury, a wound or a loss of consciousness has one thing in common: the injured person becomes unwell in an instant and needs help. Although the help for each injury that occurs must be selected individually, there are basic […]

First aid for circulatory problems, heart attacks or bleeding

How do we help a client or someone close to us when they get a heart attack or sudden bleeding? It is worthwhile to familiarize ourselves in advance with the right courses of action, rather than nervously searching for information in a hurry when such a situation happens to us. First aid in heart attack […]

How to deal with difficult behavior of the ward?

Difficult behaviour is not only aggressive behaviour, but all behaviour that is challenging for the caregiver because it requires increased strength, self-control and patience.  This may be due, for example, to a significant slowdown in the movements performed, resulting in a very long time for the elderly to perform each activity, which may initially be difficult for an energetic caregiver to accept. The reason for difficult behaviour in the ward may also be the long-term isolation of the elderly due to illness, which translates into the mental sphere, as such a person feels lonely and alienated. Difficult behaviour is not only aggressive behaviour, but all behaviour that is challenging for the caregiver because it requires increased strength, self-control and patience. This may be due, for example, to a significant slowdown in the movements performed, resulting in a very long time for the elderly to perform each activity, which may initially be difficult for an energetic caregiver to accept. The reason for difficult behaviour in the ward may also be the long-term isolation of the elderly due to illness, which translates into the mental sphere, as such a person feels lonely and alienated. People with advanced dementia are often no longer able to respond adequately to circumstances, even during ordinary, everyday situations. Therefore, contact with people affected by dementia is perceived as not easy, even by close relatives. Many people with the disease scream and moan a lot because they can no longer express their ailments or pain in any other way. In addition, patients with dementia often openly show their dissatisfaction by insulting their loved ones. They can’t create a healthy distance from the world around them. For many people in the immediate environment of a senior with dementia, even this verbal aggression is overstepping their boundaries. Non-verbal aggression of a ward goes far, if we are dealing with any of the following cases: throwing objects punching or kicking biting or spitting deliberate throwing away of meals In such cases, it is of course very difficult for caregivers to react appropriately without losing their balance. In order to be able to respond professionally when you feel attacked, you should learn appropriate behavioural patterns that will help you with difficult behaviour: Stay calm! – Especially in the case of physical attacks it is difficult not to lose control. However, under no circumstances should you imitate the behavior of a ward, and also attack (not) verbally! Try to systematically look for reasons to understand the behavior of the subject: Why does he complain so much, whether the physical pain is unbearable? Is it a mental problem that’s causing these behaviors? Maybe deep down, the senior feels his life is coming to an end and there’s nothing good left for him? Maybe it’s causing bitterness? Think how you’d feel if you switched places for a moment. This is very hard to imagine, but it may at least make it a little easier to understand his attitude. In what situations does a senior exhibit aggressive behavior? Maybe we can find a pattern? Which situations cause aggression and why? What could be the reason for this behavior? Maybe pain, depression, isolation, feeling rejected? How does the ward react to your attempts to calm him down? What makes him even more aggressive, and what calms him down? It is worth knowing these schemes to make your work easier. Think of a way to calm the senior. Some people in need of care seek contact with caregivers – also physical and consciously provoke reactions from other people. If possible, distract the ward from anger, divert attention, change the subject, suggest, for example, going for a walk or to another room on some matter – a change of environment, even a temporary one, can distract from anger. Get out of the situation! – If you feel overwhelmed by the situation, take a break. A necessary condition for briefly leaving the room until the senior calms down is self-defense of the caregiver. Have you removed all items from your reach that could hurt your ward during an angry attack? Can the patient be left alone for a few minutes, or is there a risk of falling/sliding out of the chair and getting injured during this time? Don’t respond to insults and accusations! – You know that these statements do not concern you personally, but they are the result of dementia. Talking to an aggressive senior on the one hand could only unnecessarily aggravate the situation – nerves are not a good advisor. On the other hand, in most cases, the attempt to talk and make logical arguments during an attack of anger of a sick person is pointless, as the person is unable to accept the information. Try to show empathy and compassion to the person in need of care! How would you feel if you were more and more dependent on other people? – Think about alternative ways of doing things that would make it easier for a person with dementia to understand you. The causes of difficult, often aggressive behaviours, especially in dementia, can be of various types: Changes in the brain caused by certain clinical pictures (e.g. loss of emotional capacity, biological changes, impaired conduction) – possible loss of control over one’s emotions and inability to interpret them Mental instability (e.g. fear or depression caused by the awareness of impending death, worsening general condition, self-pity or jealousy of healthy people) Loss of independence and related dependence on caregivers, relatives, specialists, doctors Influence or interactions of different drugs, e.g. lowering the inhibited threshold of their reactions in people affected by the disease Not very warmly treated by the caregiver, feeling of being a burden Lack of sleep e.g. due to pain at night Social isolation and lack of contact with other people What actions are worth taking? Get support if you can. At home, you’ll often be alone with your ward. However, do not be afraid to ask for help in situations that threaten to get out of control (e.g. when the person in need of care cannot calm down for a long time). If you already know that the person in need of care is behaving very difficult before starting work, we recommend talking to family members to determine who to call for help if the situation gets worse. This also applies to circumstances when you notice that you can no longer act confidently and professionally in a given situation and you are concerned about your safety. Ask third parties (such as neighbors, friends) to leave the room during a ward rage. On the one hand, it serves to protect these people, and on the other, you protect the ward from other people’s reactions. Make sure all dangerous items (e.g. cutlery, heavy items, glasses) are out of reach of the patient. This is the only way to prevent throwing them, breaking them, or even hurting yourself or others. Stay calm! Try to approach an aggressive subject in a balanced way, addressing the person directly by name, with a confident voice asking simple, specific questions, showing understanding. Nervous movements and signs of stress can worry the elderly and increase their propensity to aggression. The senior needs to see that his attempts to throw you off balance are pointless, because you are a professional and know how to behave in such situations. Once the situation is under control, try not to return to it when dealing with the senior if we know that there is no way to achieve understanding in the given field. However, such incidents must be discussed with loved ones and the senior’s doctor to prevent or reduce further incidents of this type. How to behave when the situation gets worse? spot signs of escalation and take them seriously treat the person in need of care with respect react calmly with composure don’t speak too loudly – raising your voice will only make things worse don’t talk too fast and chaotic pay attention to the choice of words avoid threatening gestures distract the senior, try to occupy his mind with something else avoid getting into discussions and power struggles How to talk to a senior so as not to inflame the situation? Do not oppose a person with dementia. In your behaviors, reflect the needs and feelings that the senior communicates through language, facial expressions and gestures so that he knows you are there to help him, not fight him. Communicate calmly, firmly and loudly enough to be understood. Address the senior face-to-face while making eye contact. […]

Barbara Jaszewska’s story from Bravecare Kraków Branch.

Beginnings…. “I had been working as a Caregiver for the elderly for 8 years when I saw an ad for Bravecare in 2016. I thought at the time: “Well, I’ll check out what kind of agency it is.” At the time I thought I was taking a risk, after all, I had chosen a brand […]

How does eyesight age?

Portrait of female caretaker hugging happy elderly woman indoors

When we think of seniors, we most often picture someone wearing glasses, notes Darya Darkovich, who specializes in senior care at Bravecare. Does this mean that every grandmother and grandfather must wear glasses to see well?How does our eyesight age, and how do we take care of it so we can use this important sense […]

How to talḱ to the elderly?

Good communication with seniors key to good care. Most́ Poles believe that they will take carę of their loved ones themselves when they need́ care in old age. Meanwhile, in practice, this is not so easy – not only due to the reorganization of their existing lives, but also due to difficulties in daily communication. […]

Pomeranian Branch of Bravecare led by Angelika Brzostek

Pomeranian branch of Bravecare Bravecare has several branches. One of them is the one located in Pomerania, specifically in Reda. There are three of us working here. Each of us is different, but we have one thing in common – the desire to help others. Sabina Duda and Beata Blazejczyk are also working with me. […]