nursing care.
BACKGROUND
Being bedridden for lengthy periods leads to excessive articular contractures and the loss of muscle strength in patients with PDC, with a great deal of time and effort being required to alleviate those conditions before it is possible to elevate a patient’s upper body (Okada, 2002). It is necessary, in accordance with current Japanese medical care practices, to restore reduced physical functioning before the chronic, bedridden state further diminishes a patient’s residual function. A patient’s upper body needs to be strengthened without weakening the patient’s remaining residual function. Thus, the patient’s movement can be increased gradually during the chronic, bedridden phase. It is essential, therefore, to provide nursing care that strengthens the upper body so as to maintain a patient’s residual function during the acute stage and to monitor carefully the patient’s eventual treatment and care during the chronic phase.