Bowel and Bladder Care
“Driven by the ultimate concept of care”
Bowel Care
Bowel function is important at all times of life, especially in advanced disease and palliative care. Although constipation is more common, diarrhea also occurs and is sometimes related to treatments such as inadvertent over-use of laxatives due to opioids or adverse effects of cancer radiation, chemotherapy or surgery. Hence, rehabilitation at Ucchvas calls for bowel care also.
The goals of bowel care for the patients at Ucchvas includes:
• To provide relief of distress resulting from constipation or diarrhea, as acceptable to the patient
• To assess patient’s bowel needs through appropriate history, physical and laboratory evaluation
• To assess, assist and support families in understanding and coping with issues of bowel care
• To develop a care plan and receive orders from the palliative care physician or family physician
• To monitor the effects of bowel management and adjust accordingly within the care plan
Bladder Care
An indwelling urinary catheter helps drain urine from the bladder, when you can’t do it on your own. A patient in the rehabilitation center is often put on a urinary catheter for urine drainage. Improper care provided in urinary catheter management may result in infections and other complications.
Ucchvas emanates a comprehensive understanding of the appropriate choice of a catheter and associated equipment, based on holistic patient assessment and education.
The urinary catheter care at Ucchvas includes:
• Meatal Care
• Managing Leakage
• Monitoring for Obstruction/Preventing Backflow
• Urine Specimen Collection
• Changing the Catheter
• Bladder Irrigation
• Monitoring Complications
Measures taken at Ucchvas for urinary catheter care to prevent complications:
• Use of urinary catheters only for appropriate indications
• Considering alternatives to indwelling urethral catheters
• Provision of adequate training to medical staff, patients and other caregivers on catheter placement and management
• Removal of catheters when no longer indicated
• Not routinely replacing urethral catheters
Measures taken to prevent urinary tract infections:
• Always keep the drainage bag below the level of bladder and off the floor
• Proper handwashing before and after touching the catheter or bag
• Daily cleaning of urinary catheter and urinary bag under aseptic conditions
• Keep the catheter secured to the thigh to prevent it from moving