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.

Patients confined to their beds for prolonged periods of time due to specific illnesses face multiple challenges. For starters, there is the problem of sustenance, a major issue for patients in a coma. There is also the issue of bedsores, a common condition in patients who are immobile in bed for weeks, months and years. Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are lesions on the skin caused by frequent friction and pressure resulting from lying prone in bed for prolonged periods. Left unattended, bedsores could lead to deadly infections and necrosis, a premature dying of living tissue and muscles.

For decades, the solution to minimizing this problem was to lift and turn patients at strategically timed intervals to relieve sections of the body from pressure and temperature. This however, was neither ideal nor safe for all patients, particularly those in fragile condition. This is why there has been a constant search for the solution on how to treat bed sores. This search eventually led to the development of the pressure mattress, a special type of mattress made from modern and innovative materials specifically chosen to minimize the debilitating effects of prolonged bed rest which is inherent amongst bedridden patients and the elderly.

Pressure mattresses come in two types: static mattresses and dynamic mattresses. Here is a look at the key differences between the two.

Static Pressure Relieving Mattresses

Static pressure mattresses are designed for patients who spend most of their time during the day in bed, but are still capable of moving or at the very least, being moved from time to time. These mattresses are meant to reduce effects of staying in bed on a long-term basis. The design is meant to increase patient comfort and reduce the need to turn and move around periodically to ward off the development of bedsores. Cutting-edge foam materials are used to alleviate discomfort caused by constant pressure. The foam materials themselves are designed to adjust to the body shape of a patient, an innovation that is better at mitigating pressure in hotspots such as the back, shoulders and buttocks.

Dynamic Pressure Mattresses

Dynamic pressure mattresses on the other hand, use the most advanced materials that money can buy. They are made from cutting-edge air pressure cells that are designed to constantly adjust to a patient’s body and critical care needs, eliminating the need for them to be moved and turned on an everyday basis. Most dynamic mattresses feature individual air columns that line the mattress vertically. Each air column is pressurized individually for a specific pressure level. If a section of the body requires increased pressure, simply choose cells that make contact with that part and increase the pressure.

Caring for a bedridden individual is challenging enough with the day-to-day routine. Having to buy equipment and supplies can prove to be stressful, especially if the budget and schedule are tight.

Of course, you want the best products for bedridden care. Someone’s life is in your hands and you want to ensure that the products work as described or expected. And naturally, you don’t want to spend money on defective products.

Buy Online

Traditionally, medical products and caregiver supplies are purchased in a physical store. But that has been slowly changing for some time.

Convenience. For any busy individual, driving around town looking for the best deals on the supplies or equipment you need can pose a daunting challenge. Some people do not have that luxury, because their free time does not coincide with the stores’ open hours. Online stores provide a convenient way to get what you need from the comfort of your home or office. And, while brick-and-mortar stores typically have limited hours, websites are usually available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Also, searching through multiple stores is far easier online.

Broad Selection. Compared to some traditional retailers, online stores can have a far wider range of products to choose from. Plus, it’s easy to have multiple websites open at the same time for comparison shopping at the click of your mouse.

More Economical. One reason online businesses have been so successful comes down to lower prices. The online business does not have the overhead of expensive real estate, large utility bills, larger employee payroll and larger inventory. Because of this, online businesses can give phenomenal discounts, but still maintain a sensible profit.

Plan Ahead

The prudent approach to any task is to plan ahead. Look over your area of responsibility and assess your future needs. Because online purchases usually require shipping, you need to allow for that delay in receiving your products. If you buy at the last minute, you would need to expedite shipping and that can prove costly. So, save on shipping costs by ordering far enough in advance that you can allow standard shipping rates. Also, if your planning is good enough, you may be able to purchase enough items to qualify for free shipping, if available.

Compare

When buying anything, it is always good to shop around. Never take the first product you find until you’ve compared it to two or more others. Of course, compare price, but also check for quality, durability, replacement or refund policies, reputation of the online store and of the product manufacturer.

And we’ve done some of your homework for you. Below are some of the online stores supplying bedridden products.

For miscellaneous bedridden products:

http://www.rehabmart.com

http://www.allegromedical.com

http://www.caregiverproducts.com

http://www.win-health.com

http://www.respromedical.com/servlet/StoreFront

For specialized mattresses and pads for the comfort and turning of bedridden patients:

http://www.volkner.com

Anyone who is confined to bed or a wheelchair for an extended period of time is at risk from bed sores. Also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores, these skin injuries are caused by unrelieved pressure, friction or shear (the skin surface being pulled in opposing directions at the same time).

Treatment depends on the severity of the sore and there are four stages.

Stage 1—Most Superficial. Redness, especially on light-skinned patients. May appear bluish or purplish on darker skin tones. They skin may also be hotter or cooler than normal.

Stage 2—Damage to Epidermis. This may extend into the dermis, but no lower. This may look like a blister.

Stage 3—Full Thickness of Skin. Includes some of the subcutaneous tissue layer. Because of poor blood flow, here, this layer is very hard to heal.

Stage 4—Deepest Ulcer. Extends into muscle, tendon and sometimes even bone.

Any instructions on how to treat bed sores will include several warnings. Bed sores should be taken very seriously. If not treated properly, they can become extremely painful and even fatal. A doctor should be involved to monitor and to establish treatments.

Primary Concern

Of utmost concern is that the bed sore not become worse. If not treated promptly, the skin can break and invite infection. And once the skin has broken, treatment becomes measurably more difficult.

If you notice a bed sore becoming worse, notify the doctor immediately.

Simple Maintenance

• Relieve the pressure that caused the bed sore.
• Protect the damaged skin with medicated gauze. The attending physician will recommend the type of dressing to be used depending on the severity of the sore.
• Keep the wound clean.
• Frequently change body position.
• Distribute body weight evenly with special mattresses or other support.
• Wash the sore daily. If stage 1, water and mild soap are okay. For stage 2 and beyond, wash with saline solution. This not only cleans, but it helps to moisten the sore in a way that promotes healing.
• Keep the tissue around the sore clean and dry.

Medical Treatments

• Antibiotics and pain relievers.
• Antibiotic ointments applied directly to the sore to reduce the risk of infection.
• Surgical removal of dead tissue.

Promote Healing

• A healthful diet is essential for proper healing. The patient needs to eat the proper amount of protein daily.

Pain Management

Being confined to a bed or wheelchair is already uncomfortable. A bed sore can prove to be agonizing. To help relieve some of the discomfort doctors recommend anti-inflammatory drugs (nonsteroidal) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, etc.) and naproxen (Aleve, etc.).

Wisdom

Of course, the best “treatment” is prevention. A specialized bed or mattress can help prevent bed sores with minimal effort or hassle.

Benjamin Franklin’s old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” applies doubly to bed sores. This ailment can be extremely serious, especially when not treated with sufficient care.

Bed sores can develop quickly. When blood supply is cut off to the skin for more than 2–3 hours, the skin begins to die. And bed sores can worsen rapidly, if not treated properly with cleaning, dressing and medication.

Bed sores can become extremely difficult to heal. This happens especially when the damage from a bed sore reaches the subcutaneous region. This part of the body does not receive as much blood flow and the flow of blood through a wound is essential for healing.

So by all means, do everything you can to prevent bed sores from ever forming.

1. Relieve Pressure. Changing the person’s position regularly is essential for relieving the pressure which creates bed sores. Two hours is the recommended period for those in bed and hourly, or more frequently, for those in a wheelchair. Pillows can help protect the most common pressure points where bed sores form—under the elbows and heels, the tailbone and buttocks, the back along the spine, at the back of the head and ears, the shoulders and ankles, plus between the knees (where the legs might rub together).

2. Reduce friction and shear. When moving a person, avoid dragging them across the bed sheets. (Shear is the tugging of skin in two opposing directions.) The best approach is to lift a patient, if possible. It is also important to keep the bed free of anything which can rub and irritate the skin like food crumbs. When washing, avoid scrubbing and rubbing the skin.

3. Inspect skin daily. If a bed sore does develop, early detection can help prevent the sore from escalating into something far more serious.

4. Promote good nutrition. This helps to keep the person healthy, but also to heal more quickly if a bed sore should develop. Calcium, zinc, protein, vitamins E and C, plus calories should be well-balanced and in sufficient quantities. Nutritional supplements may be considered, too.

5. Daily exercise. Many bedridden people can perform light stretching or other simple exercises. This helps good blood flow which promotes health and healing.

6. Maintain clean and dry skin. Instead of strong soaps, use saline solution to clean the skin. Mild soap and water are also okay. Drawing moisture away from sensitive areas with absorbent pads is recommended. For the patient who is incontinent, you need to find out ways to limit or otherwise control the leakage of feces and urine. These can exacerbate the problem of preventing bed sores, so ask your doctor.

7. Special bed or mattress. For those who are most at risk, a bed or mattress made especially for the care of bedridden patients may prove critical for preventing bed sores.

Just about every family in America has a relative that’s bedridden for most likely an indefinite period of time. Although this is unfortunate for a number of reasons, the #1 concern for many people is preventing blood clots and bedsores. With daily exercise and proper diet, blood clots can be usually avoided. However, bedsores are a little trickier. Bedsores are basically lesions that form anywhere on the body due to unrelieved pressure, temperature and several other factors.  Fortunately, there are now mattresses specifically manufactured to prevent bedsores from growing.

When the time comes to invest in a proper anti bedsore mattress for your relative, there are 3 important tips that you need to keep in mind:

1.  Find a Quality Mattress within Your Budget

Although this seems like a no-brainer, some believe that in order to have a name brand mattress, they have to make great sacrifices with their finances for the sake of their loved one’s comfort. Don’t fall into this trap. Right now, there are websites that offer affordable alternating pressure mattresses on sale due to clearance or even holiday specials. It’s even possible to find a used one for sale at garage sales or in personal ads. However, if you take this route, make sure that the mattress is sanitary. Also, keep in mind that there are several variations of anti bedsore mattresses that greatly shift in price, which brings us to our next tip.

2. Know Your Bedsores and Mattresses

There are four distinct types of bedsores you need to be aware of. Stages I-II are the beginning stages of bedsores, while stages III-IV are seen as deep wounds. Today, there are mattresses that are customized to heal bedsores in all stages. Mattresses for bedsores in stages I-II are usually 5-8 inches thick and lie on top of a regular mattress. They are the most affordable and are ideal for preventing pressure sores from even forming. Then there are models categorized as stage I-IV bedsore mattresses. They’re more expensive than the stage I-II mattresses, but are an excellent tool for healing bedsores in any stage.

3. Keep the Stage IV Mattress in Mind

The stage IV bedsore mattress is the most expensive model and the most difficult to find. If you can afford the investment, then it’s recommended more than the other models. It’s very powerful, holds more air than the others and has incredible longevity. So, if you want the best for your loved one, the stage IV mattress is what you need. As mentioned earlier, they’re hard to find, but worth the investment.

Bedsores have always been a problem for bedridden individuals. Luckily, there are ways to prevent and treat them. Consider all the types of anti bedsore mattresses mentioned above if you have a relative in this situation – for their assurance and comfort.

It is very difficult to watch your parents, grandparents, or any other loved one end up bedridden due to an illness or old age.

When that happens, the important thing you have to understand is that there are lots of ways in which you can help make their lives easier and show them how much you care.

It is fundamental that they don’t think they are a burden, and that they feel loved, understood, and capable of having a good quality of life even if they have to remain in bed permanently.

To help you do this, here we give you 5 in-home care tips that will show your loved one how much you care:

1. Comfort

Comfort is crucial for bedridden people. There is nothing worse than to feel uncomfortable, aching, and unable to rest when you are not able to move by yourself, so make sure your loved one always has the right support for his/her back and joints.

2. Cleanliness

No person can feel well if he/she is not clean, and this gets even worse if they are bedridden.

It is vital to bathe and groom your loved one every day, just as they would do if they could move. Something this simple does wonders for the person’s self-esteem.

Equally, you should change the bedding daily and make sure the room is clean. A nice, clean room with good ventilation, temperature, and illumination is crucial for a bedridden person’s wellbeing. Remember that this is their world now.

3. Records

It is very important that you keep clear and thorough records of the person’s appetite, bowel movements, body temperature, pulse, and breathing, to have them ready in case the doctor needs this information promptly.

4. Skin care

When bedridden, a person is prone to getting bedsores and skin ulcers on the areas that are under constant pressure. It starts with the skin becoming tender and painful, ‘till finally the infected sores burst.

The way to avoid bedsores is to always maintain the skin dry and very clean, to smooth out the bed sheets constantly, and to change the person’s position at least every two hours.

Yes… this can be a daunting task, but don’t despair… there is help. Make sure you get a pressure mattress, which has a mechanism that moves the person from one side to the other at regular intervals, ensuring the skin is well protected from excess pressure.

5. Blood circulation

The inactivity a bedridden person suffers makes him/her vulnerable to blood clotting. This happens when blood merges in the veins forming blood clots that can travel along the bloodstream to important organs. It can cause strokes and even death.

Make sure your loved one is massaged and moved regularly to stimulate blood circulation in the body and that he/she takes proper medication that can help with this condition if necessary.

There are people who have decided to devote their lives to taking care of people who are bedridden. These people are professional caregivers… but there is also the common person that ends up being a caregiver to a loved one due to age or illness.

Care giving is such a difficult task that even professionals, at one point or another, feel insecure and wonder if they are doing the right thing. If this is so, imagine how the common person can feel when presented with the task of taking care of another person’s necessities 24/7.

Eventually almost all caregivers, professionals or not, end up asking themselves why it is that they are doing what they are doing, and the time comes to put things in perspective.

Here are 3 good pieces of advice to help you cope with becoming a caregiver:

1. Surround yourself with successful caregivers

In business, they teach you that if you want to be successful you should surround yourself with successful people, well… this applies to care giving too.

There are support and educational groups for caregivers, where you can get training, information, ideas, and tips from caring people who understand what you’re going through.

You can research support programs and agencies that specialize in bedridden care. The key is to surround yourself with professionals that can help you manage your feelings and needs.

2. Gain confidence in yourself

And how do you do that? Well… By educating yourself on what you are doing.

If you’re caring for an Alzheimer’s patient you have to know how this disease is diagnosed and treated, and the same goes for caring for a person who has had a serious accident that has left him/her paralyzed. Both patients are bedridden, but their conditions are very different and so, require different care.

There are many way to get educated:

- You can find national organizations that relate to your loved one’s condition. These will have accurate information about that specific condition and about local programs related to it.

- You can search the Internet, but be careful and make sure you find reliable sources.

- You can go to a research hospital. Find out if that institution can give you relevant information on new treatments and if they happen to be working with patients such as yours.

A big part of gaining confidence in one’s ability, no matter what you do, is to pretend you’re confident. It has been proven that when you pretend you’re confident, after a while you become sure of yourself.

Tell yourself, again and again, that you are doing it right. Look in the mirror and repeat out loud, “You know what you’re doing, and you’re doing great”. You can repeat any encouraging phrase that resonates with you.

3. Use positive affirmations

Most caregivers at one point ask themselves why they are doing what they’re doing. When this time comes, it is important that you remind yourself why you’re changing diapers, adjusting a bariatric mattress, and bathing and feeding a bedridden person.

We recommend you make a sign that reads, “I love my wife/son/grandfather/mother/father/daughter” and put it where you can see it regularly.

Is bathing the person the hardest part? Then put the sign in the bathroom.

Is it cleaning his/her bedsores? Then put the sign in front of the medicine cabinet so that you can read it every time you go get the medication.

Is it moving the person regularly to make sure the skin remains healthy? Well… a pressure mattress can free you from this burden; just get the right one!

Just remind yourself every day that you deeply love that person that needs you so much now. It may work to place an old picture of your loved one or the family smiling near your bed … love brings about miracles, and after all, what better care can your loved one receive than in-home care?

It is not easy to see a loved one end up in bed permanently due to an illness or old age; however, it happens a lot, and many people have suddenly found themselves in the position of caregiver without having any training or idea of what this new role will demand from them.

Most definitely, in-home care is the best kind of care a bedridden person can have if it is undertaken with love and commitment. This doesn’t mean, of course, that it is an easy alternative.

Bedridden patients who are cared for at home have many needs and require constant attention, which together with the normal activities around a house and of its members, can sometimes get beyond overwhelming.

Here we give you 17 tips to help you balance your life if you have assumed the role of caregiver to a loved one:

1. Always make medical and personal decisions founded on a solid base of integrity so that you are not troubled by second guessing later.

2. Be real about what’s happening today. Don’t imagine things are worse, and enjoy the good parts. Do not let images of what could happen control your life.

3. Be honest with family and friends. Talk regularly and be direct about what’s happening.

4. Expect and be ready for difficult talks. Family and friends will digest the news of an illness at different times; so, at first some may not understand the tension you are going through.

You have to explain the illness, treatment, side effects, etc. to them thoroughly, and maybe even meet with the doctor so that he can address questions in an accurate way.

5. Learn the medical language. This will help your work as a caregiver. Search the web for trusted websites where you can find accurate information, but always confirm it with the doctor to avoid worrying needlessly.

6. Get every item that can help you ease the work. Bedridden patients who can’t move by themselves must be moved at least every two hours to avoid bedsores, and this is an exhausting task.

Get a low air loss mattress, which will turn the patient automatically at established hours and will allow you to rest at night and do other things during the day. Equally, get a bath kit, which is especially designed to simplify bathing a bedridden patient. There are many other in-home care items that will make yours and your loved one’s life easier and happier.

7. Learn to listen and be compassionate, because your loved one’s mood may change abruptly due to their condition, and you have to understand this is only temporary and you shouldn’t take it personally.

8. Control what you can. Get help with household chores, with yard work, cook meals in advance, organize your bills and paperwork so that you know what you are spending, and plan your work.

9. Stop trying to control what you have no control over. You can’t change the reality of your loved one’s illness, but you can trust there is a reason for everything… even for this.

10. Rest. Find a comfortable spot at home where you can relax on a comfy chair surrounded by a nice and clean environment.

11. Cook comfort food with love. It will soothe everyone’s soul, will provide nutrition for healing, and will put a smile on your loved one’s face.

12. Enjoy life. Find new interests that you can enjoy with your loved one at home: play games, watch movies, listen to music, paint, and simply enjoy simple pleasures.

13. Write a journal. This gives you a private space to let it all out.

14. Envision the future. Even in the face of illness, we can grow, so don’t stop making plans.

15. Give to others. Give as much as you will receive during these difficult times: a comforting word, a prayer, or a distracting conversation, can make a person’s day when they are feeling low. Giving will make you feel spiritually and emotionally full.

16. Take care of yourself. Eat well, exercise, rest, and learn to say no. Go out from time to time to get energized.

17. Do not expect to be perfect. Caregivers have their low moments, and this is more than understandable. Do the best you can and let go of the rest.

Being bedridden, whether temporarily or permanently, is a drastic change in your life. Your organism most certainly will feel it no matter your age, and even more so if you used to be a physically active person.

It is tough, in so many ways, to go from being an independent and active individual to being bedridden and, in some cases, only able to move with the help of a caregiver or a pressure mattress.

A person loses weight when he or she burns more calories through daily activity than the ones he or she ingests when eating. Even so, bedridden people CAN lose weight.

They have to limit their calorie intake¾a diet specified by the doctor¾and do isometric exercises to keep the muscles strong if they want to lose those extra pounds gained due to their new physical condition.

Isometric exercises burn calories, and these, coupled with a controlled calorie intake of about 500 calories daily will help a bedridden patient under in-home care lose around one pound per week.

Here we give you a 5-step plan to help you lose weight even if you have to remain in bed:

Step 1

Change your eating habits and become a healthy eater. Eat a good assortment of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and fat-free dairy products every day. Forget about processed foods and sweets.

Step 2

Reduce the size of the portions you eat by 10 or 15%. Feel free to leave food on your plate. You don’t have to eat everything your caregiver serves you, just eat what you feel satisfies you.

Step 3

Never miss breakfast! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it activates your metabolism.

Step 4

Eat small meals during the day instead of waiting until you are very hungry to eat a huge meal.

Step 5

Do a series of isometric exercises every day.

For the legs, lie on your back with your legs straight, tighten the top of your legs and pull up the kneecaps. Hold the position for 10 seconds, then release and repeat five times.

For the stomach, lie on your back with your legs straight and put your palms on your stomach. Exhale and tighten your stomach, pull the bellybutton toward the spine. Hold for 10 seconds, then inhale and release and repeat five times.

You can do isometric exercises for every muscle group: glutes, calves, chest, etc. Your doctor will be able to recommend the best exercise routine for you; there is always something you can do even if you are not able to move without help.