Method for caring for a bedbound patient using a portable bedside toileting storage system

Abstract

A method for caring for a bed-ridden patient utilizing a portable caddy for storing items used to cleanse and care for the patient. The caddy includes a base frame supported on wheels and a support post rigidly attached to and extending upwardly from the base frame. The post supports a first metal wire basket receptacle shaped and sized to receive a urinal vessel, a second metal wire basket receptacle shaped and sized to receive a bedpan, and a third receptacle shaped and sized to store a collection of disposable wipes. The caddy further carries a metal wire baskets for holding ointments, sprays and the like, and personal hand wipes, and a wire wastebasket to receive disposable wipes after they are used.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 901,306 filed on Sep. 18, 2007 and published as Application Publication No. 2008 / 0012257 which was a non-provisional of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60 / 845,445 filed on Sep. 18, 2006, This application claims the benefit of the filing date of both of the foregoing applications, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention relates to a method for caring for a bedbound patient using a portable bedside toileting storage system or “caddy” for conveniently storing items frequently needed to properly care for the patient.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In patient's rooms in a hospital or nursing facility, there is typically no “home” designated for urinals or bedpans. They are initially issued to a patient in a clean and sanitary condition, and thereafter typically kept in or on the patient's bedside table. Onc...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]The wheeled base can be easily rolled and positioned next to a bed or a chair, or stored in the corner for nighttime use only. The system can also be easily moved into a bathroom so that the items in the storage system are available there, and so that the urinal may be more conveniently emptied. The vertical organization of the system minimizes the floor space needed and facilitates positioning of the receptacles at a vertical level where they can be easily reached by both patient and the nursing staff.

[0008]It is a leading object of the invention to improve the quality of patient care by making items needed when care is being provided conveniently accessible in a consistent way to the health care worker and / or to the bedridden patient.

[0011]Convenient storage is also provided for disposable wipes. When an incontinent patient is being attended to, the nursing staff routinely needs quick access to disposable wipes, yet there is typically no place in any patient's room that is designated to store wipes, let alone a convenient location near to the patient. One receptacle is used to hold personal hand wipes, and is positioned for easy access by a bedridden patient, allowing patients to cleanse their hands after toileting and protecting their dignity.

[0014]The use of opaque disposable plastic liners for some or all of the receptacles in the storage unit, particularly the receptacles for the urinal and the bedpan and the wastebasket that receives disposable wipes after use, makes the presence of the items being held less unsightly and provides a convenient, sanitary way that these items to be removed from the storage receptacle for disposal and / or cleaning, while preventing the storage unit itself from being contaminated.

Problems solved by technology

Once these articles are used, they are often not kept clean, and are neither attractive nor healthy.

This problem has become more acute in these times of nursing and caregiver shortages.

Hospitals routinely hire personnel who may be poorly trained and have neither the time nor the motivation to attend to toileting articles or, to cleanse an incontinent patient properly.

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