The Complete Bedside Companion A No-Nonsense Guide to Caring for the Seriously Ill

Contents

Introduction
How to Use This Book

Part One: Caring for the Sick

1. The Hospital and the Medical Team: Who's Who and What's What

When It Is Most Important to Be at an Ailing Loved One's Side
The Family and Medical Leave Act
Set the Stage at Work
Preparing for a Loved One's Hospital Stay
Arranging Blood Donations
What to Bring to the Hospital (and What to Leave at Home)
First Stop: The Admitting Office
Next Stop: The Floor
The Health Care Team: Who They Are and What They Do
Doctors of Medicine (M.D.s)
Nurses
Nurse's Assistants
Other Hospital Staff
Hospital Life: "But the Doctor Who Was Just Here Already Asked Us That!,"
Personalizing the Hospital Room
Ways to Be Helpful When Visiting Patients in the Hospital
Don't Just Sit There, Do Something!
When the Quality of Hospital Care Is Lacking
What Is a Legitimate Complaint?
To Whom Do You Complain?
Sidestepping Hospital Visiting Policies
Making Pitstops Before or After Hours
Outpatient Appointments and Tests
Strategic Scheduling
Preparing for Procedures
Avoiding Long Waits
When Accompanying Loved Ones to Appointments
Preparing for Discharge from the Hospital
Postponing or Expediting Discharge Day
Safety Measures for Around the Home
Other Steps for Getting Ready
Modifying the Home
But Is It Covered?
Recommended Reading

2. Dealing with the Doctors

Choosing a Doctor
The ABC's of Getting Referrals
Points to Consider When Choosing a Doctor
Seeking a Second Opinion
How Is a Second Opinon Arranged?
When Professional Opinions Collide
Obtaining Medical Records
Care Partners, Patients, and Physicians: Ten Keys to Clear Communication
Deciphering the Language of Medicine
Tracking Down the Doctor
Be Judicious with Questions for the Doctor
Dissatisfied with the Doctor?
When It Is Appropriate to Change Doctors?
The Smart Way to Make the Switch
A Final Thought: Dissatisfaction or Denial?

3. The Everyday Angel's Cram Course in Essential Nursing Skills

A Caregiver's Basic Daily Skills
Keeping Patients Hydrated
Safeguarding Patients Against Infection
Types of Infections and How to Prevent Transmission
Special Care: Increased Susceptibility to Infection
How Infections Are Treated
Daily Hygiene
Bathing
How to Give a Four-Star Bed Bath
Giving a Basin Bath
Special Care: Bathing a Loved One Who Suffers from Memory Loss, Confusion, or Intellectual Impairment
Skin Care
Moisturize!
Keep Skin Dry
Itching
Symptoms of Pressure Ulcers
How to Prevent Pressure Ulcers
How Pressure Ulcers Are Treated
Wound Care
Three Steps to Sterile Technique
How to Change a Dressing
Oral Hygiene
Toileting
When Patients Are Confined to Bed
When Patients Are Able to Get Out of Bed
Special Care: Toileting a Loved One Who Suffers from Memory Loss, Confusion, or Intellectual Impairment
Cleaning Patients After a Bowel Movement or Urination
Caring for an Ostomy
Grooming and Dressing
Hair Care
Nail and Cuticle Care
Shaving
Dressing Patients
Turning, Maneuvering, and Lifting
How to Make an Occupied Bed
Lifting Patients by Yourself
Transferring from a Bed to a Chair or Wheelchair
Mechanical Lifting Devices
Tips for Preventing Falls
Basic Home Safety
Basic Walking Safety
To Prevent Falls from Bed
What to Do if a Patient Falls
Preventing Muscle Contracture and Foot Drop
How to Perform Passive Range-of-Motion Exercises
What Is Foot Drop?
Measuring Vital Signs
How to Take a Temperature
Managing Fever
How to Take a Pulse
How to Measure Blood Pressure
How to Monitor Respirations
Administering Medications Safely
Before Filling a New Prescription
At the Pharmacy
Keeping Track of Medications and Dosing Schedules
Routes of Drug Administration
Allergic Reactions and Anaphylactic Shock
Managing an Allergic Reaction
Managing Pain
Attitudes Toward Pain Relief
Fundamentals of Pain Management
Types of Pain Medications
Other Methods of Administering Pain Medications
Nonpharmaceutical Pain Management
What to Do When Pain Is Poorly Controlled
Essential Skills for Preventing and Managing Specific Complications
Digestive Complications
Appetite Loss and Anorexia
Complications That Inferfere with Eating
Indigestion and Nausea
Difficulty Swallowing (Dysphagia)
Constipation and Gas
Diarrhea
Urinary Tract Complications
Incontinence
Urinary-Tract Infections
Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders
Respiratory Complications
Difficulty Breathing (Dyspnea)
Difficulty Expelling Secretions
Chronic Coughing
Circulatory Complications
Edema, Blood Clots, Phlebitis, Orthostatic Hypotension
Bleeding and Bruising
Basic First Aid
Managing Seizures and Convulsions
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
The Heimlich Maneuver
When Should You Call an Ambulance?

4. Matters of the Heart

The So-Called Five Stages of Coping
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
The Fundamentals of Caregiving
How to Be Supportive (Without Becoming a Pain in the Neck)
Learning to Listen
Other Sources of Patient Support
Patient Support Groups
Finding Hope and Comfort in Faith
Long-Standing Conflicts
Caring for People with Special Needs
When a Loved One Is Not Conscious
When a Loved One Suffers from Brain Function Impairment
Memory Loss
Delusional or Hallucinatory Behavior
Agitated or Paranoid Behavior
Combative Behavior
Restraints
Wandering
When a Loved One Has Impaired Communications Skills

5. Mustering the Troops

Spreading the Work Around
The Family Conference
"If There's Anything I Can Do,"
Getting Men Involved
The Ready Reserves: Teenagers and Children
Long-Distance Angels
When Friends and Family Disappoint
How to Handle Weepers and Wailer
Cheap Shots and Target Practice
A Memo to Family and Friends Who Want to Help
Community Support Services
How to Find Support Services in Your Area
Professional Case Management

6. The Caregiver as Consumer Activist

What Are Clinical Trials?
Who Pays for Clinical Trials
From Laboratory to Marketplace
How Do You Find Out About Clinical Trials?
The Pros and Cons of Participating in a Clinical Trial
Questions to Ask the Physician When Considering Participation in a Clinical Trial
A Rational Approach to Unconventional Treatments
How Do You Find Out About Alternative Therapies?
When Is Enough Enough? Changing Course from Cure to Comfort
Making Other Arrangements: Home Care, Hospice Care, and Nursing Home Care
Why Home Care?
Home Health Care Personnel
Home Hospice Care
When Cultures Collide: Building Rapport Across Class, Race, and Gender
Nursing Homes and Residential Care

7. Care for the Caregivers

Maintaining Your Physical Stamina
Tricks for Keeping Your Body Running
Resolve to Rest; Steal Some Sleep
Eat and Drink Sensibly and Conscientiously
Take Steps to Prevent Infection
Exercise
Don't Postpone Your Own Doctor and Dental Appointments
Don't Try Doing It All
Consider Respite Care or Adult Day Care Services
Slow Down, Pace Yourself
Finding the Emotional Strength
Emotions Common to Caregivers
"I Feel as if I'm in a State of Shock"
"I Feel So Angry and Resentful"
"I Feel So Guilty"
"I Feel So Isolated and Alone"
"I Worry All the Time"
"I Feel So Helpless"
"I Feel as if He's Already

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.