Self-care is the fulfillment of an individual’s basic needs by someone else if he or she is unable to meet such needs. The physiological, economic, social and psychological dimensions of an individual’s life change with old age. The quality of life decreases due to various diseases resulting from such change, as well as reduced functions such as sight and hearing. Thus, the individual may fall short of meeting his or her needs.
The self-care of our guests in such a state are done in our facilities in order to:
- Remove the microorganisms of the secretions and wastes in the body,
- Ensure physical, psychological and emotional relief for individuals,
- Help the muscles relax,
- Eliminate bad odors from the body, and
- Help improve the body image.
During self-care, attention must be paid to following particulars:
- Individual’s beliefs regarding hygiene, level of knowledge and cultural differences should be taken into account (privacy should be respected);
- If the individual is conscious, the steps of self-care should be planned with the individual and explained to him or her;
- The individual and their family should be trained, and when necessary, members of the family should be encouraged to take part in the training;
- Hands must be washed before and after direct contact with the individual and when switching from and to the contaminated and clean parts of the body;
- As there is risk of contacting the bodily fluids of individuals, gloves should be used during self-care.
Self-care is the basis of health for the elderly, and serious health problems may develop in the individual if self-care is not done professionally. An important example is permanent risk of wounds and infection if the buttocks of the elderly patient is not cleaned professionally. The step of the self-care is done by professional elderly caregivers under the supervision and monitoring of our nurses.
