Care Load of Nursing the Bed-Bound Old at Home

Abstract

Aging society is coming rapidly in Japan. However there is little study about the physical loads of nursing the bed-bound old at home.
In this study, we measured RMR and EMG activities of M. erector spinae of seven care givers. The results were as follows : (1) mean RMR of care givers was more than 4; (2) RMR was the highest when working directly on the floor, next highest when working on a bed 50 cm high, and lowest when working on a bed 65 cm high; (3) the easiest nursing task was, laying elders from back to side, then bringing elders from bed to chair, and helping them sit up respectively; (4) the comparison by EMG activities indicated that as the work surface became lower, there was more silence.