Someone who sits or lays in a chair or bed for 8 or more hours every day is at a high risk of developing pressure ulcers. These are also known as skin ulcers, pressure sores, decubitus ulcers, and bed sores. Oftentimes, patients who have a health condition will develop these types of ulcers.
Conditions That Lead to Pressure Ulcers
As noted above, there are many conditions that lead to a high risk of pressure ulcers. Some of these conditions include:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Deep venous thrombosis
- S/p hip surgery
- S/p hip fracture
- Dependent edema
- Limb paralysis
- Malnutrition
- Cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
If your elderly loved one has any of these conditions or another condition that causes them to sit or lay down for many hours each day, just know they probably have an increased risk of pressure ulcers. If they develop these, you may need to hire in-home care providers to help care for them
Risk Assessment for Pressure Ulcers
Still now sure if your elderly loved one has a higher risk of getting pressure ulcers? Well, there is a risk assessment that can help to determine this. You or an in-home care provider can also take your elderly loved one to their doctor to find out if they are at a higher risk of getting bed sores or not. The risk assessment includes:
- Being in a chair or bed for 8 or more hours every day (not counting when sleeping)
- Has fecal or urine incontinence
- Have pain or redness in a certain area
- Have a chronic medical conditions
- Can’t get enough fluids or calories in each day
- Already being under-nourished
If your elderly loved one can connect with any of these situations, that can also tell you whether they have a higher risk of pressure ulcers.
Preventing Bed Sores
There are numerous ways that your elderly loved one can prevent bed sores, too. You and in-home care providers can help them to do these things:
- Changing positions frequently
- Being vigilant about their skincare
- Cleaning their skin with warm water and mild soap
- Pat the skin dry
- Apply lotion to their skin
- Change clothing and bedding often
- Watch for any clothing items that irritate their skin
- Drink 8 glasses of water every day
- Eat a lot of protein or protein supplements
- Drink milkshakes between their meals
- Put honey in their juices
- Keep a log of when they are turned or when they get up
- Get a pressure-relieving mattress
These are some of the best ways to prevent bed sores. If your elderly loved one needs help doing these things, don’t hesitate to hire senior care providers to assist them.
Conclusion
These are some of the pieces of information regarding pressure ulcers that you and your elderly loved one may need to know. Now that you have this information, you can do a risk assessment on your elderly loved one. If they are at high risk, it is even more important to have them follow through with the prevention tips noted above.
If you or an aging loved one is considering In-Home Care in Hillsborough, FL , please contact the caring staff at R.B. Home Health Services, Inc today. 305-220-6309
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2650/