5 Hygiene and Personal Care Free Online FlashCards

What should you do before providing hygiene care?

Explain the planned care, ask permission, and learn what the person can do independently before beginning.

How can you protect a person's dignity during bathing?

Close the door or curtain and uncover only the area being washed. Use respectful, matter-of-fact language.

How should a caregiver support independence during hygiene care?

Encourage the person to complete the tasks they can safely manage, and provide only the assistance needed.

What abilities and conditions should be assessed before hygiene care?

Assess pain, fatigue, mobility, balance, cognition, skin condition, and the need for assistive devices.

What preparations promote safety before bathing?

Choose an appropriate bathing method, gather supplies, check the room and water temperature, and assess transfer and fall risks.

When should bathing be paused or stopped?

Pause or stop if the person becomes dizzy, breathless, fatigued, or distressed.

What is a gentle approach to washing and drying skin?

Wash from cleaner areas toward more soiled areas, use gentle strokes, then rinse and pat dry, including skin folds.

What bathing products and water temperature can help protect older adults' skin?

Use mild soap and warm, not hot, water to help reduce skin irritation and dryness.

What skin changes should be observed and reported during hygiene care?

Look for redness, open areas, bruising, rashes, unusual warmth, or other changes, and report concerns according to care procedures.

How should skin be cared for after incontinence?

Cleanse and dry the area promptly; use a moisture-barrier product when indicated.

What is general adult guidance for brushing and interdental cleaning?

Brush twice daily for two minutes with fluoride toothpaste and clean between teeth daily, adapting assistance to the person's abilities.

What precautions may be needed when assisting with oral care?

Position the person safely and use suction or other aspiration precautions when indicated by their condition and facility procedure.