Home Based Care Training pt 3

A Bridge of Hope

The main training of the morning was on how to do a bed bath – from approaching the family to the patient – to communicating with the patient and doing a bed bath. The Home Based Care team were really knowledgeable and were able to do a bed bath quite easily. It’s great being part of such a pro-active community.

Preparations for a bed bath

Scabies is also quite a problem in the community at the moment. We discussed briefly what scabies is, how it spreads and possible solutions.

Basic Scabies Facts

1. Scabies are caused by mites
2. Mites are attracted to the warmth and smell of humans
3. Female mites burrow into the skin, creating small threadlike tunnels that can sometimes be seen on the skin. The mites lay eggs and leave feces in these tunnels

How Scabies Spreads

1. Scabies and human mites are contagious
2. If you have scabies, you can spread mites to other people before and after you develop symptoms – for as long as you remain untreated.
3. Scabies is spread by close, intimate contact, such as sleeping in the same bed with or touching someone who has scabies.
4. Scabies can also be spread through clothes and bed linen.
5. Scratching can spread scabies mites to other parts of the body.

Possible Solutions for the Kezi Community

1. All clothes, rugs, bedding, chairs, shoes, towels, underwear etc must be washed in hot water and hung in the sun to dry.
2. Avoid sharing hair brushes, combs etc.
3. Bath daily.

Demonstration of a bed bath

By Molly Manhanga