Tony Rher
This Week’s Featured Radio Podcast
Listen to Volume # 124 —“Tony Rher” (Podcast)
“Caregiving 101” on KKYX Radio 680am San Antonio, Texas
Hosts: Starr & Bob Calo–oy
Guest: Tony Rher
Broadcast Date: July 3, 2010
Toby Rher is an LVN with Americas Medical Team Home Health, and shares caregiving stories and advice from his point of view, to help some of our caregivers out there.
Toby had been “patched-up” many times over the years, having survived several vehicle accidents. He worked with nurses and doctors for many years to get better physically, and grew to respect the field as well as the personnel. He soon decided that this was something he wanted to do with his life…help others.
He learned that giving medications to the elderly (with dementia) that have problems taking them can be easily remedied by crushing them-up inside food. He also learned first-hand about paranoia. You need to take the time to find out what’s the root of the problem. You need to remember not to take anything personally, especially if they think you are poisoning them or stealing their money.
Currently Tony’s a home health nurse, attending bedbound and homebound patients. He speaks about the seriousness of bedsores. Any patient bedbound for any period of time needs to be turned frequently. Their bony prominences such as joints and even ears tend to turn red, which is a pressure sore. If you see this you need to improve circulation and turn the patient. They get worse fast, as the next stage is a break in the skin looking like a road rash, to a weeping sore.
Encourage hydration and foods high in protein for muscle and tissue health. You will need to keep a close eye on the sore, and keep bandages clean. You can use pillows to prop them up, and if you have a draw sheet or incontinence pad, it will alleviate most of the burden of turning the patient.
The bulk of the patient’s weight is between their buttocks and their neck. You can easily support their weight while turning them by using such a sheet. You need to make position changes at least every two hours if they are having problems with skin irritation. Star says that sometimes pressure sores can be helped with liquid band aids, and says that ten coats can help the ear of oxygen patients with such an irritation. The elbow is also one of these areas that are prone to pressure sores. Be careful of wrinkles in the sheets as well as the plastic underneath, since these things cause most bed sores.
One interesting fact is that the number one cause of falls with the elderly is throw rugs. You can bleed two liters of blood if you fall and break your hip. Fractures in the elderly happen easily and are common as their bones are brittle. It is important to have a clear walkway in their main living area as to avoid tripping. You might want to put hand rails here and there in problem areas around the home.
Starr & Bob Calo-oy created CaregiversAdvice.net to help, encourage, and support caregivers. Through weekly Radio Shows on KKYX 680am San Antonio, they host special guests who cover many unique topics concerning caregiving. They also have weekly TV Segments on KENS TV 5 San Antonio where they share caregiving and marriage tips. All of these programs are archived as Radio Podcasts and TV Podcasts for your easy listening. Visit their sister site, Marriage101.net for marriage help and encouragement. Starr has written Four Books on Caregiving.
