Playlist: Basic Care Procedures: Showering and Bed Bathing
Maintaining a patient’s personal hygiene plays an important role in preventing disease, especially infection, as well as helping with comfort and body image issues. This program demonstrates basic care procedures and best practices for showering and bed bathing a patient in a professional and caring manner. Preparation steps for these procedures are included, as are dressing, grooming, sanitary, safety, and privacy needs. In addition to its effectiveness in highlighting general care principles, the video is designed to support dementia and elderly care training. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (25 minutes)
General principles for preparing a patient for bathing include reading patient care plan and assembling items. General principles of bathing procedure are included. Follow infection control procedures.
Assess amount of assistance needed. Assemble required materials for shower.
Showering procedures include transferring patient, washing, drying, oral care, and hair care. After the shower, clean the bathroom, return patient's articles, and remove soiled items.
For bed bathing, a slide sheet may be required; keep patient covered, and only expose body part being washed. Assemble all required materials.
Assess patient strength and mobility, and call for assistance of needed. Keep in mind patient privacy, safety, and comfort. Remove patient's clothing. Position patient. Wear gloves for bathing procedure.
Evaluate skin conditions while bathing a patient in the prescribed sequence for frontal bathing. Change water as needed.
Turn patient over and wash, rinse, and pat dry in prescribed sequence. After changing water, wash, rinse, and pat dry the genital regions. Segment includes review.