✔️ Tip 1: Drinking with Closed Handle Cup
My mom purchased an insulated cup that probably didn’t weigh more than like a pound and a half – at the most – but it was too heavy for my grandmother to pick up by herself. Tip number one is to think about getting a cup with a closed handle. If the cup has two handles, one on each side, it will be easier for the person to hold the cup with two hands.
✔️ Tip 2: Mechanical Soft Diet
For patients who usually don’t have teeth, creating a mechanical soft diet is very important. Foods mechanically are foods altered by blending, grinding, chopping, or mashing the foods so that they are easier to chew and swallow.
✔️ Tip 3: Using an Apron
My grandmother, even though she can feed herself, sometimes spills her food when eating. Instead of putting a traditional bib on her, my Mom had the idea to use an apron. This is a really unique thing caregivers can do pretty easily to maintain someone’s dignity and to be respectful of them. The apron allows them to eat on their own, and still look cute and fashionable.
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(You can check out the Part 1 & 2 episode where you found this one.)
Part 1, I talked about 3 Tips for Transferring & Getting Dressed; and in Part II, I talked about 3 Tips to Shampoo Hair in Sitting in a Chair.
If you have questions, comments, or need help, please feel free
to drop a one-minute audio or video clip and email it to me at melissabphd@gmail.com, and I will get back to you
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About Melissa:
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (‘96) and Master of Science in Nursing (‘00) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Nursing (SON). I truly enjoy working with the complex medical needs of older adults. I worked full-time for five years as FNP in geriatric primary care across many long-term care settings (skilled nursing homes, assisted living, home and office visits) then transitioned into academic nursing in 2005, joining the faculty at UNCW SON as a lecturer.
I obtained my PhD in Nursing and a post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing (2011) ) and then joined the faculty at Duke University School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor. My family moved to northern Virginia in 2015 and led to me joining the faculty at George Washington University (GW) School of Nursing in 2018 as a (tenured) Associate Professor where I am also the Director of the GW Center for Aging, Health and Humanities.
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About Melissa:
Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FGSA, FAAN. I am a nurse, nurse practitioner, nurse educator and nurse researcher with over 25 years of experience in the aging and long-term care healthcare space. You can visit my website at MelissaBPhD.com to learn more about me, how you can work with me directly,
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Find out more about her work HERE.