Proper Usage of Tools, Equipment, and Paraphernalia in Caregiving
Proper Usage of Tools, Equipment, and Paraphernalia in Caregiving
CAREGIVING
I.COMMON EQUIPMENT IN MEAL PREPARATION
A. Blender
1. Choose a flat, dry surface on which to operate your blender.
2. Make sure that all the parts are placed in their appropriate places before operating.
3. Put the pitcher onto the base and plug the blender.
4. Place the ingredients in the pitcher and put the lid on firmly.
5. Start operating by choosing the setting appropriate for the task you are going to do.
6. You may add food or ingredients through the secondary lid while the blender is running.
7. Clean the blender after use.
C. Food Processor
1. Remove the food processor from its box container.
2. Place it on a stable, flat surface.
3. Plug it on the electrical outlet safely.
4. Remove the cover and put the food ingredients to be processed.
5. Put back the cover and turn on the processor to start with the procedure.
6. As soon as you have reached the desired size or texture for your food ingredients, remove the cover and pour the
ingredients into your bowl or plate.
7. Unplug the food processor and clean it based on the manufacturer’s instructions.
D. Coffee Maker
1. Fill the carafe with water according to the number of cups of coffee you need to make.
2. Pour the water from the carafe into the reservoir of the coffee maker, and place the carafe back into position
3. Place a coffee filter into the filter basket. The amount of coffee you'll need to add depends on how strong or weak
your clients like it. Then, add the coffee into the filter using a spoon.
4. Turn on the coffee maker and wait for your coffee to brew.
C. Washing Machine
1. The very first step in washing is sorting the clothes of your client. Separate white and light-colored from dark-colored
clothes. Also, they should be sorted according to their material. Wash clothes with heavy fabrics together and clothes
with light fabrics together.
2. Put detergent into the washing machine. Let the detergent go to the bottom of the washing machine.
3. Put the clothes loosely into the washing machine.
4. Load the laundry as high as the manufacturer specifies or to the top row of holes in the tub.
5. Close the lid and choose the setting of the washing machine according to what you are washing.
6. Turn on the machine. Let the unit work through all of the cycles. Wait for the machine to turn off before you unload
the washed laundry.
7. Load the next batch of clothes and do steps 5 and 6 again until you are done with the laundry.
8. Turn off and unplug the unit.
A. Thermometer
Body temperature is a measurement of the amount of heat in the body. The balance between heat produced
and heat lost is the body temperature. The normal adult body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. There is a normal
range in which a person’s body temperature may vary and still be considered normal.
Take a look at these normal ranges of body temperature:
Oral : 36.4 to 37.2 degrees Celsius
Rectal : 37 to 37.8 degrees Celsius
Axillary : 35.9 to 36.7 degrees Celsius
2.Digital thermometer
May be inserted into the mouth under the tongue, under the armpit or into the anus.
This thermometer displays the reading in the LCD.
This type of thermometer does not use mercury which is hazardous to humans.
B. BP Apparatus
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the blood vessels. The heart contracts as it
pumps the blood into the arteries. When the heart is contracting, the pressure is highest. This pressure is what we know
as the systolic pressure. Now, as the heart relaxes between each contraction, the pressure decreases. When the heart is
at its most relaxed state, the pressure is lowest. And we call this diastolic pressure.
The following steps will help you measure blood pressure accurately.
1. Wash your hands and prepare the equipment you will use.
2. Introduce yourself and let the patient/client know the procedure to be done.
3. Sanitize the earpieces of the stethoscope with an antiseptic pad.
4. Ask your client to rest quietly. Have him/her lie down or sit on a chair whichever is more comfortable for him/her.
5. If you are using a mercurial apparatus, the measuring scale should be within the level of your eyes.
6. Expose the arm of your client by rolling the sleeves up. Have your client’s arm from the elbow down to rest fully
extended on the bed or the arm of a chair.
7. Unroll the cuff, loosen the screw and squeeze the cuff with your hands to remove air completely.
8. Wrap the cuff around your client’s arm above the elbow, not too tight or too loose.
9. Find your client’s brachial pulse at the inside of the elbow. Hold the diaphragm there and inflate the cuff until the
pulse disappears. Take note of the reading and immediately deflate the cuff. This is the client’s approximate systolic
reading and is called the palpated systolic pressure.
10. Place the stethoscope’s earpieces into your ears and place the diaphragm on the brachial pulse.
11. Turn the screw to close it. Inflate the cuff until the dial points to 30 mm above the palpated systolic pressure.
12. Turn the screw to open it. Let the air escape slowly until the sound of the pulse comes back. Take note of the
calibration that the pointer passes as you hear the first sound. This indicates the systolic pressure.
13. You have to continue releasing the air from the cuff. When you hear the sounds change to something softer and
faster and disappear, take note of the calibration. This is now the diastolic pressure.
14. Deflate the cuff complete. Remove it from the arm of your client and record the reading on the client’s chart.
15. Wipe the earpieces of the stethoscope with an antiseptic pad and place the equipment back to their proper place
and wash your hands.