Personal Care for Māori Residents
Providing personal care to Māori residents requires a deep appreciation and respect for their cultural heritage. Integrating their customs, values and language into caregiving is important while maintaining the required infection prevention and control standards. This will help create an environment promoting healing, comfort and belonging.
Many requirements reflect good infection prevention and control practices whilst respecting their cultural needs.
Examples include
Actively encourage Māori residents and their whānau in all aspects of care and decision making.
Provide a clear explanation of standard and transmission-based precautions, including the requirement for hand hygiene, PPE, isolation, etc.
Store bedpans, commodes and urinals in their own designated area, and do not place them anywhere near where food trays are placed.
Separate flannels should be used for washing the head and washing the body; preferably, different coloured flannels will be used.
The body should be washed strictly from the neck to the genital and then anal area. This not only respects their culture but is also good infection prevention and control practice.