Convalescent Duties

Admitting a loved one into a nursing home can be a heart-wrenching decision. Reasons why someone may need convalescent care range from help getting around, dietary needs, assistance with activities of daily living and assistance with medication. Whatever the need, the staff at the convalescent care center will assist each resident with care and respect.

Ambulatory Functions

• Ambulatory help is a main function of convelescent duties

  Many people require help getting around. This can be caused from either illness or injury such as pneumonia or hip replacement surgery. The nurse's aide at the convalescent care center will assist residents with all their ambulatory needs. They work with the physical therapist to determine how far a resident should walk on his own, as well as if he is actually able to stand and walk at all. If the patient cannot move at all on his own, the staff will put him into a lift-assist category. These include either one- or two-person lifts or a mechanical lift to move the resident from one position to another. The main goal of the ambulatory function is to get the resident back to independence, with the ability to go from point A to point B without any assistance. If this goal cannot be achieved, it is the duty of the staff to ensure safety to the resident when he is assisted.

Dietary Assistance

• Diet is very important in a convelescent care facility

  Diet is very important in convalescent care. When a doctor prescribes a certain diet, the staff must ensure that the resident is receiving that diet. It is ultimately the responsibility of the dietary aides to ensure the proper meal is going to the proper resident. If a meal gets mixed up, this can be deadly--for example, if a resident requires a pureed diet, but receives a regular diet, it is very likely she can choke on the food. Similarly, diabetics cannot eat certain foods as well or it can cause a serious medical condition. Nurse's aides also assist with the diet aspect of care. They are on hand during meals to ensure the residents are getting the proper diets and they also track how much each resident consumes at each meal.

Daily Living Functions

• Assistance is provided in all aspects of daily living

  Many people take advantage of the fact that they are able to do most things for themselves, such as brushing their teeth and hair, getting dressed and even bathing or toileting. For those who are ill or injured, this can be impossible. When a person is admitted to a convalescent care center, it is the responsibility of the staff to ensure that hygiene is maintained properly. In long-term care, some residents are unable to get themselves dressed, or need assistance is doing so; this is another function of the nurse's aides. They will assist the resident in getting dressed as well as bathing, dental hygiene and even brushing their hair. In addition, the nurse's aide will also assist residents in bathroom use as well as helping those who may be incontinent.

Medication Assistance

• Nurses assist residents with their medications.

  Many residents in long-term care have numerous medications which are prescribed by their doctor and must be taken at the proper time. When people require numerous medications, it may become confusing to them as to when and how to take their medications. This is where a nurse comes in at a convalescent care facility. Nurses make their rounds throughout each shift to not only give the residents their medication, but also to ensure that the medication is taken properly--some medication needs to be taken with food, while others require an empty stomach. The nurse ensures that all medication is taken the way it was prescribed.