FREE MEDICINES HOW TO CARE FOR A SICK PERSON AT HOME

FREE MEDICINES

Written by Dr. Helen-Anne Manion, OAM, MB BS, D.Pall. Med. (UWCM), FAChPM.

Table of Contents

RELAXATION EXERCISE ... 1

BREATHING TROUBLES ... 2

CONSTIPATION ... 3

CONFUSION ... 4

COUGH – WET AND DRY ... 5-6 CHILDREN WITH BLOCKED NOSES ... 7

DEHYDRATION - Not drinking. ... 8

DIARRHOEA – Runny Bowels ... 9-10 DRY MOUTH AND DRY LIPS. ... 11

FEELINGS ... 12

FEVER ... 14

FEELING SICK (Nausea) ... 15

HICCUPS ... 16

HEADACHE ... 17

ITCH ... 18

PAIN ... 18

FOOT MASSAGE FOR PAIN RELIEF ... 20

RESTLESSNESS OR FEELING ANXIOUS ... 21

SKIN PROBLEMS ... 22

OPEN WOUNDS ... 23

SLEEPLESSNESS ... 25

SORE MOUTH AND MOUTH ULCERS ... 25

SWELLING IN LEGS ... 27

VOMITING ... 28

WEAKNESS ... 29

LOSING SOMEONE YOU ARE CLOSE TO ... 29

1 RELAXATION EXERCISE 1. Find a quiet place

2. Sit comfortably in a chair with your eyes closed

3. Breathe in and blow the air all the way out.

4. Now take deep breaths in and out saying to yourself,

‘Breathing in Breathing out’. 5. Make your mind quiet – no

thoughts.

6. Feel your feet, legs, body, arms, shoulders and face muscles go loose.

7. Stay in this calm relaxed

away for as long as you want. 8. Then, open your eyes

slowly, you will have a smile. 9. Do your relaxation exercise

as often as you want, at least twice a day.

This will help the sick person with pain, breathing difficulties, anxiety and restlessness. It is very good for the family caregiver to do this exercise as well.

2 BREATHING TROUBLES

 Take slow deep breaths.

 Fan the face of a sick person

 Get air flowing in the room, or go outside in the breeze.

3

 Sit up, if lying down. CONSTIPATION

 At least 3 full glasses of water each day.

 Fresh fruit. The best are papaya, pears, bananas.

4 CONFUSION

When the person is very sick they sometimes are not sure where they are, what day it is and forget names. Talk quietly, use touch to calm down.

Touch is very important. Tell them they are safe, who is with them and where they are. Talk about happy memories in the past. Fan the face,

5 COUGH

Wet Cough sounds ‘rattly’

Pat chest from behind to move the rattly mucous up.

Adult - use hands Child – use fingers

6 DRY COUGH

Person needs soothing to stop.

 Often painful to cough - sit person up holding a pillow.

 Warm cloth on chest for tight feeling.

Soothing medicines for cough

 1 tablespoon of honey ( or sugar) dissolved in a glass cup of warm water - sips.

 Local remedy

 Lemon grass tea or squeeze of lemon and honey and warm water - sips.

7

CHILDREN WITH BLOCKED NOSES NEED TO HAVE NOSE CLEANED

Make a wick out of cloth. Make it wet and then gently remove mucous in the nose. Babies can then more easily breast feed.

8

DEHYDRATION - Not drinking. Sign of dehydration

Children:

 dark around the eyes.

 tongue is dry.

 ‘floppy’. Adults:

 very thirsty.

 hot

 very sleepy, slow.

Drink clean water (boiled water).

Take sips all the time or feed to children with a small spoon.

9

DIARRHOEA – Runny Bowels Children - Fluids to drink: boiled water/rice/water/broth.

Less than 2 years 1/4 -1/2 cup after each runny bowels.

More than 2 years 1/2-1 cup after each runny bowels.

Continue to breastfeed babies and feed older children.

10

DIARRHOEA

Adults- fluids to drink: Boiled water/ weak tea/ broth/ rice water.

Drink 1 large cup of the boiled water after runny bowels and sips all through the day.

1 cup after runny bowels and sips all through the day.

If ORS is available your Home Base Caregiver will teach you how to mix it up.

11

DRY MOUTH AND DRY LIPS Mouth:

 rinse three times a day.

 suck pineapple pieces. Lips:

12 FEELINGS

Fear, sadness, anger, feeling down, losing hope. When the sick person has these feelings, be close, touch, hold their hand, let them talk, cry, play

13

If a child is fearful hold them close, sing gentle songs, hum.

14 FEVER

When someone gets very hot they have a fever - a sign their body is sick. Remove blankets, place cool cloths on skin.

15

Move outside if there is a breeze, cool washer on head. For a baby or child- cool bath.

FEELING SICK (Nausea)

Nausea is feeling sick, can’t eat food and sometimes there is vomiting as well.

Ways to help:

 Offer a small amounts of food - best at beginning

of day.

 Sit the sick person or child up to eat.

 Keep mouth clean.

16 HICCUPS

Things that might help:

 Sit up.

 Hold breath while swallowing 3 times

 Massage ear lobes and swallow.

 Put a teaspoon of sugar in mouth and swallow slowly.

17 HEADACHE

 Massage neck, stand behind.

 Massage temples.

 Make sure head is in a comfortable position

18 ITCH

 Keep skin cool, place a wet cloth on the skin.

 Apply calamine lotion you've available.

 Put socks on baby's hands.

 If itch is because of dry skin, apply cream or oil.

PAIN

Pain is caused by the sickness in the body. Also pain can be caused by feeling afraid or having worries.

Ways to help

 Gently massage the part of the body that is sore.

 Warm cloth on painful area.

 Painful burning feeling in the feet. Put feet and legs into bucket of water.

 Help your loved one take deep breaths.

 Do the relaxation exercise with the sick

19

 Listen about fears, worries.

 If someone from your religious or cultural tradition is available they will be able to talk about spiritual worries.

20

FOOT MASSAGE FOR PAIN RELIEF

Every part of the body has a ‘spot’ on the foot. This

is very good to take the pain away. When you are massaging the foot with your thumbs,

and you find the right spot

they will say, ‘ouch’! When you reach that spot, keep massaging for a few minutes – then the pain will go away. It is also very

21

RESTLESSNESS OR FEELING ANXIOUS

Feelings that are very deep in us are difficult to talk about.

Ways to help:

 Use a soft soothing voice.

 Hum a song.

 Stroke forehead gently.

22 SKIN PROBLEMS

If is dry: soften with cream or vegetable oils. Bed sores happen by lying in bed all day and being too weak to move about.

Ways to help

 Change position.

 Use pillows.

23 Children and Babies

 Nurse often on your lap will help sore heel.

OPEN WOUNDS

 Clean with boiled water. Use 2 cups and add

24

 Cover wounds. Tear up cotton pieces and

boil, cool - then bandage.

 If wound on a hand or foot soak in bucket of warm soapy water.

 Honey spread over wound will clean it well -

25 SLEEPLESSNESS

Encourage a little more activity in the daytime. Encourage relaxation to sleep at night.

SORE MOUTH AND MOUTH ULCERS

Thrush, white spots on tongue.

Use Bicarbonate of Soda and water. Make into a thin paste with water. Brush tongue, teeth and gums with your home-made toothbrush - wash mouth and spit it out.

Take a piece of towel, wrap it around end of stick.

26 Mouth washes:

 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. Rinse/gargle and spit it out. Do this 3 times a day.

 1 teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda in a glass of water. Rinse mouth and spit out. Do this 3 time a day.

27 SWELLING IN LEGS

 Keep feet up.

 Gentle massage of feet and legs, stroke upwards toward body.

28 VOMITING

If a lot of vomiting, rest for 1 - 2 hours. Rinse the mouth, then give sips of water, weak tea or broth. Breathe in fresh air.

29 WEAKNESS

 Do gentle moving of arms and legs a few

times each day.

 Massage gently.

LOSING SOMEONE YOU ARE CLOSE TO Feelings that are normal.

 Waves of sadness.

 Sometimes relief they no longer suffer.

 Sometimes anger to be left alone.

30

Some people want to stay with the body while others want to go away.

Sadness stays with you for a long time. Follow your traditional ways to remember.

31

LOCAL REMEDIES /BUSH MEDICINES

 Record your own local remedies or bush

medicines for problems such as pain, cough, breathing difficulties, sleeping problems and any others of benefit.