PATIENT Hygiene AND CARE

PATIENT Hygiene
AND CARE
How to perform good personal
hygiene?
 Good personal hygiene implies that the whole body, hands,
feet, skin, hair and nails are cleaned and cared for.
Good personal hygiene is based on the following three focus
areas:
1. Take a structured approach to personal hygiene from top
to toe
2. Pay special attention to hand hygiene
3. How do deal with resistant bacteria.
Take a structured approach to personal
hygiene from top to toe
 In order to avoid infections it is extremely important to take a structured
approach from top to toe.
This implies that you always have to perform the daily hygiene tasks:
1) From clean to dirty skin
2) From inside to outside
3) From the top to the bottom
 It is important to remember that the areas with most bacteria are the
anus, groin , hands, feet, and armpits.
 The urethral opening and the eyes are the most sensitive areas to
infections.
 Make sure that you do not move bacteria from other parts of the body
to the urethral opening or the eyes.
Wear protective clothing to
avoid contagion
 It is strongly recommended that care givers
performing personal hygiene tasks wear
protective clothing and gloves to avoid
spreading infectious diseases.
 Protective clothing and gloves protect the care
giver from contamination of clothing, hands or
other body parts.
 It also prevents bacteria spreading from one
patient to another.
How to perform a good body wash
from top to toe
 A full body wash should be performed daily, in the A full body wash should be
performed daily, in the bathroom, in the shower or in the bed.
 It is important that you perform the body wash from clean to unclean areas,
using this sequence:
 Eyes, face, ears, neck
 Arms, armpits, breast, stomach
 Legs and feet – Intimate areas, first in front, then at the back. In the case of
faeces on the skin, start from the back If you use wash-without-water
products you don’t have to rinse off with water, or use , bowls and towels.
It may, however, be necessary to dry skin folds.
NOTE: Remember to take a new cloth or reverse the wet wash glove during the
body wash.
 If you wash with water and soap, you may have to change the water during the
process to ensure the right soap/ water balance and that the water is not dirty.
Eyes, Ears, and Nose
 When hygiene care is provided, the eyes,
ears, and nose require careful attention.
 Clean the sensitive sensory tissues in a way
that prevents injury and discomfort for a
patient, such as by taking care to not get
soap in his or her eyes.
 The sense of smell is an important aid to
appetite.
 In addition, the time you spend with your

patient during hygiene provides an
excellent opportunity to ask if any
changes in vision, hearing, or sense of
smell are occurring.
Take good care of nails and skin
on hands and feet
 Good care of nails on fingers and feet ensures a healthy

skin and removes bacteria from under the nails.
 Besides, it is very important that the skin on hands on feet
is clean and healthy to avoid dry, chapped skin and
development of ulcers.
 Ingrowing nails may result in ulcers that can be difficult to
heal.
 If you care for people with reduced blood circulation in the
feet, it is of particular importance to pay special attention
to skin care on the feet in order to reduce the risk of ulcers.
Oral hygiene
 Brushing removes particles, plaque,
and bacteria; massages the gums; and
relieves unpleasant odors and tastes.
 Flossing removes tartar at the gum
line.
 Rinsing removes particles and excess
toothpaste.
 Patients with special needs:

diabetes, artificial airways,
unconscious, chemotherapy
Oral hygiene – Unconscious
Patient
 Turn patient’s head towards you
 Place patient in semi-fowler’s
 Oral air way can be used to hold mouth
open
 Use a small brush or swab to clean the
mucous membranes and teeth
 Use suctions to remove secretions and
fluid
 Use chap stick or lip moisturizer
Hair wash is important for
comfort and well-being
 Hair wash is carried out according to need or patient wish.
Remember that nice and clean hair is an important factor in
comfort and well-being.
 If the patient cannot get into the shower, it is a good idea to

use a shampoo cap. In case you perform a hair wash in bed,
you need to cover the bedding with a liquid proof sheet to
avoid that liquid – and thereby possibly bacteria – are
transferred to the bedding, pillow, quilt, mattress, etc.
Bath Guidelines
 Close the door and/or pull room curtains around the
bathing area. While bathing the patient, expose only
the areas being bathed by using proper draping.
 Keep side rails up when away from the patient’s
bedside when patients are dependent or
unconscious.
 Keep the room warm because the patient is partially
uncovered and easily chilled. Wet skin causes an
excess loss of heat through evaporation.
 Keep patient covered, exposing only the body part
being washed during the bath.
 Encourage the patient to participate in as many of the
bathing activities as possible. Offer assistance when
needed.
 Bring a new set of clothing and hygiene
products to the bedside or bathroom.
 Teach patients to follow a few general rules for
skin health. Encourage them to routinely
inspect their skin for changes in color or
texture and to report abnormalities to their
health care provider.
 Instruct patients to handle the skin gently,
avoiding excessive rubbing.
 Stress safety concerns such as failing to
adjust or check the water temperature, cutting
nails too close to the skin, and slipping on wet
surfaces.
 Ensure that patients understand that healthy
and intact skin and tissues protect them from
infection. Reinforce infection control practice,
including proper hand hygiene.
Special attention to shaving
 Shaving may cause skin irritation, if it is not done in the right way.
 Before starting the shave, it is important that the skin is clean and free of
bacteria.
 Shaving leaves a small hole in the skin, where bacteria may penetrate the
natural skin barrier when hair is removed.
 This can cause spots, irritation or pseudofolliculitis barbae also known as
barber’s itch.
 Shaving is performed according to need using either an electric razor or
manual razor blades.
 After shower or bath is a good time for shaving, since the skin is softened
and makes gentle shaving easier.
 In general, care of face and neck using moisture cream needs to be done
every day.
 Care givers must use disposable gloves during shaving, and if the shaving is
performed in bed, protective covers should be used.
Good Hand Hygiene is pivotal
 Good hand hygiene has been proven to be the best way of preventing the
spreading of infectious diseases.
You must always wash and/or disinfect your hands:
 Before all clean tasks, e.g. before contact with mucous membranes, ulcers,
catheters, clean instruments and food/beverages
 After all unclean tasks, e.g. after change of diaper, going to the toilet,
blowing your nose, coughing or contact with contaminated surfaces or
materials.
 Before and After the use of gloves
 Insufficient hand hygiene is one of the most common causes of infectious
diseases.
 Good hand hygiene is the most important precaution to prevent bacteria from
spreading. If you encounter the flue, colds, coughing, running noses or diarrhea
in your surroundings, you have to be extra careful with the hand hygiene.
Whether you are a caretaker, a patient, a relative or visitor in
the caresector, always observe the basic rules for good hand
hygiene:
 Wash/disinfect your hands when you arrive from the
outside
 Wash/disinfect your hands before participating in meals
 Wash/disinfect your hands when you have been to the
toilet
 Hand disinfection is the first choice.
 Hand disinfection is performed when the hands are visibly
clean and dry.
 Hand wash is performed if the hands are visibly soiled or
wet. After wash, disinfect the hands.
NOTE: Always ask for advice if you have any questions about
hand hygiene or if you need instructions.

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PATIENT Hygiene

 In addition, the time you spend with your

 Good care of nails on fingers and feet ensures a healthy

 Patients with special needs:

 If the patient cannot get into the shower, it is a good idea to

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