Personal Care Skills

NATCEP Day Seventeen & Eighteen

Objectives

• Discuss how to dress and undress the resident• Name assistive devices and clothing adaptations

that may be used in dressing/undressing a resident• Describe nail & hair care including beard care and

shampooing• Demonstrate

– SKILL: Dress and Undressing a Resident– SKILL: Nail Care– SKILL: Hair Care

• Combing/Brushing• Shampooing

– SKILL: Shaving with an Electric Razor– SKILL: Shaving with a Safety Razor

Dressing & Undressing

• Residents should dress themselves and be dressed in their own “street” clothes whenever possible.

• If they need assistance:• Remove one arm of shirt at a time• Dress affected side first; undress

unaffected side first• Encourage use of assistive devices and

adapted clothing

• Never jerk or pull clothing off – be gentle!

Assistive Devices

• Shoe Horns

Assistive Devices

• Velcro straps• Front-hook Bras• Extenders• Reaches

Hair Care

• Grooming–Daily and as needed– Residents feel better about themselves– Style as the resident likes–Never cut residents’ hair– Improves circulation

Hair Care

• Combing– If in bed, cover pillow with a towel– Begin at ends if tangled, work up– Begin at roots if no tangling

Hair Care

• Shampooing– Grooming associated with well being– Frequency is individual – check plan of

care– Shampoo – use resident preference–Rinse well! • Prevents dry and itching scalp

– Tangling? Use conditioner– Beauty Salons within LTCFs

Beard Care

• Wash when shampooing or bathing

• Comb or brush when hair is groomed

• Trim only with consent – check care plan

Shaving

• Check care plan before shaving 1st time

• Shave daily as resident prefers• Help only as needed• Oxygen = no electric razors• Females = underarms & legs as

preferred• Encourage aftershave/cosmetics for

sense of well-being

Nail Care

• Clean nails at bath time and as needed– Pay close attention to those with

deformities or contractures

• Do not cut nails or resident that is diabetic or has circulatory problems

• Notify charge nurse is nails need to be cut

• STNA does not cut toenails!