Hi me again, I seem to always be on here just lately.
Just one out of curiosity really but has anyone had or currently dealing with pressure sores? Al was due to come home tomorrow after 12 weeks in hospital but they moved the date now to July 7th because he has a pressure sore and they want it to heal before he come home. So just wondering if anyone else has had to deal with a recurrence of these as this isn't the first one he's had.
Yes pressure sores are a constant problem. The best thing is to keep them away in the first place by very careul observation of all the likely and unlikely places for redness to develop.and making sure that there are no nasties like creases in the bottom sheet and that a not very mobile patient is not lying on the same place for too long. It is worse if the patient loses weight and padding. In hospital there should be a chart with instructions about how often to turn them. At home it can be easier because you have more opportunities to take measures. I found the most useful thing, rather than disturb my husband by heaving him about more often was a stiff wedge shaped cushion. which I tucked UNDER the mattress at the side and changed to the other side every half hour. This did not make a huge visible difference but shifted the pressure area by an inch or two and back again until it was time to turn him. He was very emaciated and at high risk but we managed to avoid the damned things altogether this way. It was easy for me as it did not involve any heavy lifting - just pushing the cushion in until you saw the pressure area change slighly.
FredaE
Hello Ivy,
My wife Jackie suffered from the early stages of pressure sores and we remembered something we used with great effect some years ago with my mum. Admittedly it was on Jax's feet (and only on my mum's southern end) but we used a sheep skin on the bed. This dramatically improved matters to the point where we no longer even worry about them.
Take care & good luck, Ian
Hi, yes, a constant worry and very painful for the person who gets them.
You have had some great suggestions so far. I just wondered if your husband sleeps on an air mattress? My dad had a profiling bed with an air mattress and mum slept next to him on a single bed. This seemed to work really well as it shifts the pressure every so often.
Sending lots of love
Helen
He has an air mattress in the hospital and they have said about us getting one at home. The mattress on the bed here is a foam one.
Hi
My Sue suffered with pressure sores for a long time. We tried many different things such as Ian's sheep's fleece mat and padded patches on the effected area all to some degree off success.
The best was an air mattress on the bed and her chair. If your partner can move them that is the best way forwards.
They time and patience to get rid of.
Paul
Thanks Paul, Just waiting delivery of an air mattress now, had a call from OT yesterday.
Hello. Aside from air mattress, district nurses have provided little pressure booties for Dad's heels/elbows. Seems to be the bony bits to look out for with him. Tailbone area also. Proshield cream on prescription seems to work very well on red areas. If he gets a red area that threatens to erupt he stays in bed for a couple of days possibly with a padded dressing on and that fixes it. It's because we can keep the Air mattress set to dynamic mode where it constantly moves the pressure, which is less effective on his padded chair. It took us a long time to realise that you can switch the mode on the mattress to static (still) during personal care time, and then back to dynamic. Makes life easier! Kx
Hi ivyrose64, pressure sores or grazes are a common problem when you have poor mobility. I used Proshield spray (which is like a ph neutral cleanser) dab dry and then pro shield cream. Try to avoid pads or kylie sheets if possible, iron sheets and underwear if cotton and loose.
There’s also a barrier cream called cavillon that is also like a nappy cream avoids blisters and saws were rubbing areas (groin or catheter sores). All these can be ordered through your catheter supplies company if you have a catheter and if not you can get them prescribed through your gp.
If it seems like it’s weeping, bleeding or open wound, you would need a dressing.
An air mattress does seem like the best shout, also if this person needs hoisting try and do that a couple of times a day as it alleviates pressure. And maybe talk to your ot about a sling that could be left in place all day.
I hope this helps x
Thank you, some good points I will raise with the OT when she rings tomorrow.
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