Use of chux cloths to replace facewashers

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Aged Care, Palliative Care.

I have just found out that our carers will be using chux wipes to wash our residents with in replacement of facewashers and they are going to do away with drawsheets and kylies - obvious cost cutting here. I'm not able to find any evidence based reasearch to come up with a rationale as to why this should not occur!!! Can anyone point me in the right direction??????

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Specializes in Public Health.

Well, I have had several patients that have allergies to the chux. There are also going to be an increase in staff and patient injury if there is no safe way to lift patient and slide them up.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

What's a Kylie?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

What are "carers"?

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

They might do away with draw sheets, but you can always fold up a flat sheet and make your own draw-sheet, which I recommend that you do if you want to save your back.

You can work around anything if you think smarter. No face wipes? Offer them tub of warm water with a washcloth and a dab of soap. I am sure you can think of more ideas if you put your mind to it.

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I'm sorry, but I lol'd at the thought of nurses going at patients faces with those chux pads. "Here. Let me wipe your face with this giant blue plastic thingy."I know the OP mentioned Chux "wipes," but when I see the word chux, I instantly think of the chux meant for the butt.

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Specializes in long term care Alzheimers Patients.
I'm sorry, but I lol'd at the thought of nurses going at patients faces with those chux pads. "Here. Let me wipe your face with this giant blue plastic thingy."I know the OP mentioned Chux "wipes," but when I see the word chux, I instantly think of the chux meant for the butt.

Me too lol

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

I think the poster may be Australian. A kylie is an washable absorbent pad that is about 2 feet long and as wide as the bed. It is used to save the bedsheet from getting soaked with incontinent pt that flow out over incontience wear.

In this context I think chux is refering to a bluey or inco sheet.

And a draw sheet may refer to a similar item to a kylie that is often used in combination with a plastic under sheet.

Would I be right in guessing you are working in some sort of aged care facility or the like ?

Maybe ask your mgr for a cost break down of the alternatives .

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I wonder if the disposables are chargeable (to the patient) items and the laundry costs are absorbed by the facility?

I'm going to spring the term 'kylies' on my co-workers here in Indiana tonight and see if any of them know what I'm talking about! I find it fascinating the different terms for things in the various corners of the English-speaking world, don't you??

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Ahh pts are not "billed" like the are in the US the hospitals use a scoring system to be reimbursed form state or fedral funding.....in acute care most people go via the public health system which is funded via taxes . Citizens, residents, and those from countries with reciprocal agreements are not charged for a hospital admission.

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Specializes in Aged Care, Palliative Care.

A kylie is a self absorbent sheet that goes across the bed when there is an incontinent resident. It helps to draw away the moisture from the resident so they don't get any breakdowns.

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Specializes in Aged Care, Palliative Care.

hey, chux here in Australia are dish clothes that we use to wash dishes with!!! It's kinda degrading going from using a face washer that is soft and nice on residents who love to have that first thing in the morning to a dish cloth that is not going to lather. I certainly would not want to be washed with a dish cloth!!!!

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