With the decreased face to face visit schedule from your RN Case Manager, the following is a brief list of things you, as a caregiver, can monitor and notify your nurse if necessary:
- Vital signs do not need to be checked on a daily basis. We do suggest that check patient’s temperature daily due to COVID-19 crisis, and notify the RN if greater than 100.4
- Be sure to turn your bedbound patient a minimum of every two hours during the day. Monitor skin and body prominences for redness and breakdown. Notify your nurse if you identify an area of concern.
- Hydrate your loved one by offering something to drink every hour unless medically contradicted.
- Monitor lower extremities from edema (swelling). Keeping feet elevated with help but it does occur, push fingers lightly into leg. If the skin “pits”, please notify your RN.
- Patients should be having a bowel movement a minimum of every three days. If the patient is taking pain medication, please be sure that they are also getting a stool softener and taking it daily. If you have to insert a suppository, place the patient on their side if possible for easier insertion. If your patient does not have a BM for more than three days, please notify your RN.
- Patients that are getting supplemental oxygen, please be sure that they are wearing their nose piece or mask correctly and that they and family members are not smoking around the oxygen.
- If patient gets short of breath, not relieved with oxygen, medication or repositioning, please notify your RN.
- Signs and symptoms of infection include fever, cough, drainage from wound site, foul smelling urine. Please notify your RN for any of these symptoms.
Please remember that our staff is available to you and your family 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We appreciate your confidence in our team and your trust and I was taking care of your loved one.
