Pressure Ulcer: What You Need to Know

Also known as “bed sores”, pressure ulcers are always a matter of concern for family caregivers. Pressure ulcers are skin breakouts that often lead to irritation, infection, and wound. If you’re primarily taking care of your loved one at home, the issues of pressure ulcers will surely affect you.

As a leading provider of home care services in St. Louis, Missouri, pressure ulcers are no longer new to our field. Hence, we would like to empower family caregivers on the following important information about pressure ulcers and how to prevent them.

What causes pressure ulcers?
There are three main causes of pressure ulcer and these are the following:

• Sitting or lying down in the same position for a long period of time
• The Friction of the skin on a rough surface, such as a blanket or bed linen
• Accidentally sliding from a seated or lying position resulting to scratches or wounds

How to know if pressure ulcer already occurred?
The presence of pressure ulcers should be addressed as soon as possible. Prompt care prevents serious infection in the long run. Thus, as providers of In-home care in Missouri, we encourage you to watch out for these signs of pressure ulcers:

• A part of your loved one’s skin changes in color. You may see bluish, purplish, pinkish, or reddish spots on their skin.
• Your loved one’s temperature fluctuates in an unusual manner. They may feel very warm (possibly due to inflammation) in some parts or very cold (possibly due to lack of blood flow) in other parts.
• The pressure ulcer may cause changes in the underlying tissues, so that your loved one’s affected skin area may become unusually soft.
• Your loved one will report about numbness or tingling feelings in at-risk body parts.

What are the at-risk body parts for pressure ulcers?
Depending on your loved one’s positioning, pressure ulcers may occur in the parts of their body that is always applied pressure on. However, there are body parts that are considered to be at-risk, as these areas are most commonly affected with pressure ulcers:

• The skin covering the bone area right above the tailbone
• Sides of the hips
• Pelvic bones especially for those who are seated for long periods
• Heels
• Head parts that are usually in contact with the surface
• The skin where the backbones protrude from

How can you prevent pressure ulcers?
As your partner in providing quality Personal care, here are our recommendations in preventing pressure ulcers:

• Shift your loved one’s steady position at least every two hours.
• Put a cushion at the at-risk body parts.
• Check for skin breakouts every day.
• Apply skin-friendly moisturizers or lotions.
• Feed them with nutritious and skin-strengthening meals.

At Provision Home Care Inc., we are here to work with you in providing quality care for your loved one who is in need. If you require assistance especially in attending to the welfare of your family member, our team of professional care providers is ready to help. Contact us to set an appointment any time.