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rocketjcat Asked February 2019

Any suggestions on how to get Mom with dementia to blow her nose after RSV virus?

Moms had a bad couple of weeks starting with a vasovagal fainting spell lasting 10 minutes, followed the next day with a positive UTI and antibiotics and dehydration requiring a clysis treatment. The last day of antibiotics she tested positive for RSV virus and got another clysis treatment. She slept almost nonstop and stopped eating and drinking for 2 days and I really thought this was the end. But she appears to be back on the mend now and eating and drinking and singing again. But she’s still on quarantine (requiring masks and gowns ugh) since she’s still occasionally coughing. She sniffs up a lot, but I can’t get her to blow her nose, or spit anything out, which is causing the cough. Never having had little kids, how do you explain to someone how to blow their nose?? I’ve asked the nurses and they suggested saying to blow out a candle but it’s not working. Any ideas? She’s not on any meds to dry up her head...they “want it to run.”

Midkid58 Feb 2019
My brother used to take a gentle "massager" and tickle the tip of the sufferer's nose, and w/o fail, they'd SNEEZE a huge sneeze. (This works for littles as well as oldsters)..yep, snot everywhere, but it was super effective.

For the "littles" you needed 2 people, for the elders, usually one to "tickle and catch". I haven't tried it on someone with dementia, so I cannot state the effectiveness---but it's worth a try.

NOT a full on MASSAGE--just the slightest little "tickly sensation" try it on yourself first.

Also, Boogie wipes are the best. So gentle, no more sore, raw noses.
rocketjcat Feb 2019
Thanks I’ll try that!
MargaretMcKen Feb 2019
This may be unacceptable, but my method for my babies was for me to hold my nose, suck and spit. Then mouth wash. It takes love to do it.
rocketjcat Feb 2019
Hahahahaha! And I feel queezy thinking about the eye dropper technique! You’re a better (wo)man than I am Gunga Din.

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lizzywho61 Feb 2019
Rocketcat,

My 4 month old granddaughter was hospitalized the day after Christmas for a few days with RSV. The hospital staff used a vaccume device that was in the wall to clear out all the mucous. I never witnessed the procedure but my DIL said it was done often and the amount of mucous that was collected was unbelievable.

Grandaughter was given steroids and breathing treatments. I think this is a viral thing so she didn’t get any antibiotics.

I heard this morning RSV is going around in our Nursing Homes.

There is a product called Boogie Wipes for babies to wipe away the boogies without irritating the skin.
cwillie Feb 2019
The boogie wipes are essentially baby wipes only smaller and more expensive, a gentle baby wipe with aloe is actually a really good idea though.
cwillie Feb 2019
Honestly? I can't imagine trying to clear her nose, it's hard enough fighting a squirming infant let alone a resistant adult. And even the "vacuum" type products are only going to clear what is already in the nostrils, not the build up farther in the sinuses. I recently spent a week wiping the nose of a sick 16 month old and I found that if I very gently wiped periodically he was much less apt to fuss.

rocketjcat Feb 2019
Thanks for the suggestions. The NP suggested I use a small dropper and try to pull some out that way. She didn’t volunteer to do it however, haha. I’ll guess I’ll try that tomorrow if she’s still sniffing. I also asked her speech therapist for any ideas...they’re thinking about it. They say it’s tricky because blowing out the nose is not a “normal” action that they can try to mimic and it’s hard to teach. Who kne

BellainaWella Feb 2019
I have no experience with adults so someone here may have better advice, but I have experience with little kids. You can't force someone to blow their nose, but there are devices that actually can pull out the snot:

https://www.amazon.com/MediChoice-Ear-Ulcer-Syringe-Thermoplastic-Elastomer/dp/B01FSRHTEY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1550240420&sr=8-3&keywords=adult+aspirator

There's mechanical ones, too, but the ones I looked at were for babies.

Keep in mind this may be disturbing/upsetting for the person who has the runny nose so if your Mom won't tolerate it, I recommend investing in flannel baby wipes (Amazon carries them and a few stores that specialize in cloth diapers have good deals on them, too). I find they are more gentle and more effective wiping away/absorbing snot than disposable kleenexes.

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