The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-04
Home Nursing
Baths Without Bathrooms

TyIE first time the doctor said,
you might give your mother a
bed bath. Mrs Lee" Nancy Lee
did not quite know what he meant. She
had some vague idea of hauling in the
old tin tub that stood in the attic
the long tin bath that she had pever
seen any place except up under the roof.
She had never been sick and in her
short young happy life, sickrooms had
meant nothing to her. Now. her beloved
mother, all the way from Florida, was
suddenly ill at her home in Vermont
and there was no one to take care OF
her but Nancy uRtil nurse could get
there from the city. And that might
be matter of days as the railway
bridge had just been swept away.
The doctor, serene in the belief that
all college-bred wcmen knew how to do
everything, went on his way.
Nancy Lee, fearfully at first, but
with great courage, made an attempt
to give her mother bath in the bed.
Her notified had had them before and
she tried to facilitate matters by adj
vice and suggestions.
Between them they got the bed so wet
that the mattress had to be put out on
the sun-porch, and poor old Mrs. Green
was so chilled that she shivered for an
hour and Nancy was very much worried.
1t was Vera, the stupid looking maid
of all work, who surprised the two
women and brought untold comfort to a
sick old lady and her anxious daughter,
She viewed the havoc wrought in the
guest-room with dismay as she helped
lift Mrs. Lees mother to the couch and
carry the soaking mattress ont to dry
"What happened, ma'amY she said
At was trying to give mother bath
in, bed, and l made a frightful mess
Of it, admitted Mrs. Lee.
Vera's face frightened. Chats one
thing / CAN do," she said eagerly.
81 can't make very good pie crust yet,
but can make a bed. l had a lot of
experience in the ''flu" epidemic back
home"
So Vera turned teacher and nurse and
Mrs. Lee gratefully helped-and learned
at the same time.
I'm the first place you gotta get ready
to give a bath in bed" explained Vera.
''Clean sheets and towels, and fresh
nightgOwn, and hot water bottle, nice
and warm, and soap and washcloths,
and tooth brush and glass and hair
brush, and everything! So you won't
have to 60 out of the room and make
a draught," she added.
So they brought basin of warm
water and a pitcher of hot water to
keep it warm. And soap and towels and
everything"
The new dry mattress was covered
with a blanket and after Mrs. Green
was lying on it she was covered with
another blanket. Bathing patient be-
tween blankets keeps them from being
chilled. The blankets may be protected
with the bath towel, but don't put the
blankets used during the bath on the
bed until they have been thoroughly
dried.
: Always keep a hot water bottle near
the patients feet when giving a bed
bath. Sponge the face, neck, chest and
extremities of the body separately, keep
ing the body we'll covered meanwhile.
Always have the windows closed and
the room warm. Work quickly and
silently.
After the bath, Vera remade the bed,
quickly, moving the patient as little as
possible, covered her warmly, gave her
warm drink, opened the windows, and
Mrs. Green fell into n restful sleep.
Patients nearly always sleep or rest if
the bath has been properly given.