12.6: Unit E- Assisting with Elimination
Every patient has elimination needs. There are a number of ways the Home Health Aide/Personal Care Aide can assist a patient by providing for elimination needs. Patients who are unable to get out of bed due to mobility issues or injury may benefit from using a bedpan . Male patients may benefit from using a urinal at the bedside to prevent having to walk to the bathroom. Some male patients have condom catheters , which are external urinary drainage systems where a condom is applied to the penis and attached to a urinary drainage bag. Other patients may have indwelling catheters in which the catheter is inserted into their bladder . The catheter is attached to an external urinary drainage bag.
The Home Health Aide/Personal Care Aide has an important role in providing assistance with elimination and cleansing the genital area after elimination. This section will explore how to offer a patient a bedpan or urinal, how to apply a condom catheter, and how to cleanse the genital area and catheter tubing. Instruction is provided about how to empty urinary drainage bags that are attached to condom catheters and indwelling catheters and how to properly measure urine output.