Archive for category Home Health Care

How to Prevent Bad Breath Smell and Improve Dental Health

Posted by in Home Health Care on August 8, 2011

By Rodrigo D Barrera

1. What Causes Bad Breath?

Bad breath is mostly due to the degradation of proteins from bacteria to yield volatile sulfur-containing compounds. It can be a warning sign of potential gum disease, which is a major cause of tooth loss.

Sinusitis, bronchitis, diabetes, liver or kidney problems, and infections of the nose, throat and lungs may also be the cause of bad breath.

Xerostomia or dry mouth is a condition that affects the flow of saliva and can cause this due to a accumulation of bacteria. Susceptible to dry mouth are pregnant or menopausal women, the elderly and those taking certain medications.

According to specialists in dentistry, constant breathing through the mouth rather than through the nose increases the risk of smelly breath.

Smelly breath can be caused due to the consumption of garlic, onions, coffee and other foods with strong odors.

In close connection with the occurrence of unpleasant breath is smoking. All smokers suffer from this problem. In fact, tobacco usually leads to many other serious dental problems like oral cavity. The presence of tartar also poses risks to the health of teeth and gums, and thus the occurrence of bad breath. The reason is that under it the multiplication of microorganisms continues. Billions of bacteria are found even in one gram of tartar. They, in turn, release substances and toxins that cause tooth decay, inflammation and bleeding gums.

The occurrence of bad breath is already a sign that the tartar begins to harm the gums; it is just a matter of time before someone starts to suffer from gum gingivitis.

Toothbrush cleans only 60% of the surface of the teeth, so it has no significant effect on the elimination of bad breath.

2. How Can We Deal With The Problem?

In addition to a toothbrush, floss the inter dental space between the teeth. This will help to clean all parts of the teeth and removing food between the teeth.

To remove food residue between the teeth, it is important to have a proper technique of brushing. The brush should be moved gently in a vertical direction from the gums to the teeth – the upper jaw from the top down and the lower jaw upwards. This massages the gums and improves blood flow to them.

Remember when you are cleaning your teeth, use your toothbrush and toothpaste to brush your tongue.

Chewing sugarless gum is a well known way to freshen your breath; but, also to stimulate salivation, which helps prevent dry mouth.

Some food products may also be a useful ally in combating bad breath. Among them are celery, peanuts, low fat cheese, apples, carrots and more. Fruits and vegetables that are rich in cellulose increase salivation.

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How to Best Use Bed and Floor Trapezes in Home Health Care

Posted by in Home Health Care on August 8, 2011

By Susan Solo

When you or a loved one need home health care, having the right equipment at hand can be essential. Especially if the home health care patient needs to use a wheelchair, and has difficulty moving about on their own. This kind of patient also will have difficulty getting in and out of bed and other than slings the best aids for this task are bed and floor trapezes designed for easy transfer from bed to chair, and back again. In this article we will cover the basic types of trapeze equipment and how to best use them effectively.

Bed Trapezes

When it comes to bed and floor trapezes for home health care, the one most often employed is the bed trapeze. These attach directly to a hospital bed, and can be done in two ways. The first most commonly used hospital bed trapeze is the overhead trapeze bar, which is usually attached directly to the headboard. The bar itself retracts, so that it is never truly in the way. Having it attached overhead allows the patient to be able to use it to pull themselves up into a sitting position easily without aid. A secondary use that is often used by patients with decent upper body strength is as an exercise tool, with the overhead attachment making it perfect for continuing to strengthen that upper body strength by doing pull ups from a prone position.

The second type of hospital bed trapeze attaches to a side rail, instead of the headboard. In terms of home trapeze equipment, it can be the most versatile of its kind, making it easily adjustable for patients who may be taller than average, or whose infirmity or injury requires them to pull up from a different angle than others might. Both kinds of bed trapezes are essential for patients who want some sense of independence and are vital in getting them into an upright position for transfer into their wheelchair from the bed.

Floor Trapezes

Floor trapezes operate completely independent of hospital beds and generally come in two forms: stationary and wheeled. In whatever form you choose, they are very important for use with bariatric patients, because overhead and rail bed trapezes are often not enough to facilitate getting them into an upright position, and then into their wheelchair or mobility scooter. A bariatric patient is considered to be any patient that is considered to be obese, usually 300 pounds or more.

The stationary floor medical trapeze is usually adjustable in height, and once it is locked into place, is pretty hard to shift out of position. Because it is most often used with bariatric patients, it will often be used in tandem with a belt sling by the caregiver, to add extra stability when transferring the patient from the bed to their chair. The wheeled floor trapeze unit, on the other hand, is one of the most versatile types around. The wheels lock to keep it in place, and can be used at bedside or anywhere else in the home when the patient needs to be transferred from their wheelchair, even in the bath. For patients that require constant aid in transfers, this kind of bed and floor trapezes is the perfect choice for the home.

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