Jul 28, 2020
Three Tips For Managing Being Sick At Home
“You need a system for documenting what medication you're taking and when you're taking it.”— Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN (00:36-00:42)
Are you feeling under the weather lately? No matter how busy life gets, it's crucial to know what steps you need to take good care of yourself.
In this week's episode, you'll learn about:
- Three tips to manage your illness at home, whether it's COVID-19 or not.
Part One of ‘Three Tips For Managing Being Sick At Home’
Tip #1: Write Things Down
The first tip is that you need to have some system for documenting what medication you're taking and when you're taking it. If you're taking multiple medications, you need to keep track of the date and time you have a bowel movement (particularly if you're on pain medication, because that can make you constipated).
“Have a plan BEFORE you get sick.” — Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN (05:01-05:03)
If you're an older adult (or maybe even not so old), remember that having bowel movements is pretty essential for your brain and your ability to think. But usually, when you're sick, you don't remember what you did, and you tend to forget the last time you took pain medication. If you haven't had a bowel movement in three days, you need to let your healthcare provider know about it.
Part Two of ‘Three Tips For Managing Being Sick At Home’
Tip #2: Things to know about taking your temperature
The second thing I want to talk to you about is taking your temperature. You may be saying to yourself, "We all know how to take our temperature." And that's probably true. But you do need to know where your thermometer is. Before you use it, you need to be sure that you use alcohol with cotton pads. Make sure it's clean before using it.
“If you're eating or drinking, you want to wait about 15 minutes before you take your oral temperature.” — Melissa Batchelor, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN (07:05-07:15)
Take your temperature before you eat or drink or wait at least 15 minutes before taking your temperature by mouth if you do. If you forget or don’t have time to wait, you can do an axillary (armpit) temperature. Write down if you take your temperature by mouth or axillary because there are slight differences (like a half degree to a full degree) between an oral temperature and your axillary temperature. Your provider may need this information later.
Tip #3: Efficient Bed Making
The third tip is how to prepare your bed so you can rest well. When you have a high fever, and you're taking care of yourself with no one around you, you don't have a lot of energy to spend. Simply fold your blanket halfway, so it's easy to pull it back up (demonstration in a video version of the podcast at 7:25 min mark).
This energy saver is totally worth it and a simple little trick to do when you aren’t feeling well - or anytime!
About Melissa
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (‘96) and Master of Science in Nursing (‘00) as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) from the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) School of Nursing (SON). I truly enjoy working with the complex medical needs of older adults. I worked full-time for five years as FNP in geriatric primary care across many long-term care settings (skilled nursing homes, assisted living, home and office visits) then transitioned into academic nursing in 2005, joining the faculty at UNCW SON as a lecturer. I obtained my PhD in Nursing and a post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education from the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing (’11) and then joined the faculty at Duke University School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor. My family moved to northern Virginia in 2015 and led to me joining the faculty at George Washington University (GW) School of Nursing in 2018 as a (tenured) Associate Professor where I am also the Director of the GW Center for Aging, Health and Humanities. Find out more about her work at https://melissabphd.com/.