Development of bedsores on a loved one is not an easy ordeal to go through. Bedsores are very painful and most of the time need multiple months’ worth of treatment before healing completely. And if that’s not enough, bedsores could be fatal if not taken care of immediately, which is why it’s very important that all of the family members get involved in knowing how to treat bedsores.

There are few practical methods that can help you treat bedsores should the need arise. Aside from that, these methods also determine whether the loved one is getting the appropriate care and attention from the hospital staff or nursing home. In addition, it is highly recommended that you arm yourself with information regarding the rights of a bedsore patient, as these sores are a clear indication of neglect by the staff should the loved one be in a nursing home or hospital. You will have the power to hold the facilities accountable for the pain caused by using the said legal rights.

Two Methods for Preventing Bedsores

Move – Typically, the patient should be moved roughly every 15 minutes in order to keep the pressure off the sore. If the frequency of movement is not possible for the patient, he/she needs to be moved every 2 hours at least. Special mattresses, special chairs and foam blocks can help keep the patient comfortable during repositioning.

Special Mattress – A pressure relief mattress can be used to alleviate the occurrence of bedsores. They are a solution that eliminates the need for constant moving and adjustment to the simple fact that they adjust to the pressure of the body exerted by the patient.

Hospitals and nursing homes have guidelines that are very specific when it comes to preventing bedsores. Therefore, if a bedsore is found on your loved one, it could be concluded that someone wasn’t doing the job very well. These kinds of practices are so unacceptable that most insurance companies refuse to pay doctors for treatment.

The reason why it’s unacceptable is simply due to the fact that it’s far easier to prevent bedsores than to treat them. With the variety of techniques and solutions such as your average pressure relief mattress, there’s no reason for bedsores to cause problems. In typical cases, these sores are simply the byproducts of negligence and carelessness.

Fortunately, it’s not just the insurance companies that are taking the stand against such behavior. Patients and their families have also stood up to the courts to hold the respective facilities accountable for the amount of suffering and the pain that was caused because of the bed sores. Some hospitals, in an effort to defend themselves, insist on claims that sometimes bedsores are unavoidable; however, these are simply untrue.

If you’re taking care of a sick and bedridden loved-one, you’ll want to help them avoid the misery of developing bedsores. Sadly, every bedridden patient is susceptible to these sores.

In particular, it’s wise to note these 8 risk factors:

1. Elderly

In the elderly, skin is generally thinner and more vulnerable to developing sores. The reduced quality of skin and the blood vessels supplying it, can also mean they are more difficult to heal. If the elderly patient is in a nursing home, this risk factor also increases.

2. In a coma

Since a patient in a coma cannot move without help – and they are also not alert to respond to any feelings of pain and discomfort caused by pressure on their skin – they are more likely to develop bedsores. Similarly, other patients who are alert but still unable to feel pain in certain areas of their bodies, will not be aware if pressure sores are developing or feel the need to change positions in bed.

3. Poor diet

Poor diet leads to the body’s weakened state. In particular, it has been found that diets low in protein, Vitamin C and Zinc, all contribute to the patient being in a high-risk category for developing bedsores.

4. Low weight

It is common for the bedridden to lose weight. If a patient already has low fat and muscle content, their bones are closer to their skin and able to generate more friction while lying in bed. This friction results in bedsores.

5. Incontinent

A problem with incontinence means the patient has to endure periods of moisture in the lower part of their body. This moisture is something that leads to the break down of the skin – a perfect condition for a bedsore to form.

6. Certain illnesses

Patients who are diabetic or have vascular diseases which affect their circulation, will have problems with their blood-flow reaching certain areas of tissue. This tissue will then be prone to becoming easily damaged.

7. Smoking

The nicotine in a cigarette affects circulation and smoking also reduces the amount of oxygen in the body, affecting the body’s healing abilities.

8. Low mental awareness

Patients with low mental awareness are unlikely to take action against developing bedsores, such as turning themselves or informing a caregiver about areas of pain and discomfort.

If your patient or bedridden loved-one falls into any of these high-risk categories, the best course of prevention is to invest in a low air loss mattress system or alternating pressure mattress. These mattresses inhibit the development of bedsores by turning the patient’s body every few minutes, preventing areas of continuous pressure from developing and by protecting the skin against moisture and damage. If a patient is unaware of their need to change positions in bed, or just unable to, these mattresses eliminate the need for a caregiver to constantly turn their patient.

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There are several factors that have been acknowledged as things that put a person more at risk of developing pressure sores.

As soon as a person is spotted as a high-risk individual, certain measures have to be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk of him or her developing bedsores.

It is imperative that the care provider, whether it is a nurse or a family member, is knowledgeable about these risk factors in order to be able to prevent the unnecessary and painful development of pressure sores.

The risk factors will vary according to the patient’s specific circumstances; nevertheless, this is a list of the 5 most common risk factors:

1.Being confined to a bed, chair, or wheelchair
Individuals who are confined to a bed, a chair, or a wheelchair, and who are not able to move by themselves, are at high risk of developing pressure sores extremely fast; in as little as a couple of hours, if the pressure is not relieved regularly.

2.Being unable to change positions without assistance
Persons who are in a coma, who are paralyzed, and who are recovering from a hip fracture or other injury that limits mobility, are extremely prone to bed sores.

These patients must be moved consistently at regular intervals, and this is very difficult on caregivers, reason why it is imperative to get a pressure mattress to help both the patient and the caretaker.

3.Losing bowel or bladder control
People who have to remain in bed for long periods of time or permanently and lose the capacity to control their bladder or bowels are in danger of getting bedsores because the continuous moisture on the skin due to urine, stool, or perspiration can irritate and weaken it.

4.Eating bad, having an imbalanced diet and/or dehydration
Pressure sores develop more easily when the body and skin of people who have lost most of their mobility are not adequately nurtured.

5.Losing mental awareness
A person who is losing mental awareness may not have enough sensory perception or capacity to take action to prevent the development of pressure sores.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Pressure Mattress website as the original source).

The majority of pressure sores can be prevented, and the ones that do develop, do not need to get serious or even life threatening.

The caregiver has to consider the patient’s special circumstances when creating a care plan to make sure the person does not develop pressure sores that were preventable in the first place.

Here we give you a list of the 10 precautions that care providers should, but commonly neglect to oversee to avoid pressure sores:

1.They should make an initial proper, thorough, and methodical assessment of the patient’s risk of developing pressure sores.

2.They must conduct accurate periodical assessments to measure the patient’s risk.

3.They have to bathe the patient well and thoroughly.

4.They should assess and treat the patient’s incontinence condition to make sure that excess moisture on the skin does not cause pressure sores.

5.They have to maintain the patient well hydrated and eating enough and right.

6.They must reposition and move the patient at regular intervals to make sure the pressure is relieved properly.

7.They have to use proper support and moving devices such as a low air loss mattress, to relieve pressure from critical areas.

8.They should take into account postural alignment, weight distribution, balance, stability, and pressure relief when helping the person sit on a chair or wheelchair.

9.They have to use the right lifting devices and techniques to make sure that shear and friction do not cause pressure sores.

10.They must get educated on the best ways to prevent bedsores and find documentation that supports those measures.

In essence, every patient is different, and each one will present different conditions or combination of conditions that should guide the creation of the best care plan for him or her.  The caregiver should be able to see this uniqueness in order to prevent the patient’s condition from getting worse out of neglect.

If you liked this article, tell all your friends about it. They’ll thank you for it. If you have a blog or website, you can link to it or even post it to your own site (don’t forget to mention our Pressure Mattress website as the original source).