Consider this scenario: you stroll outside on a hot summer day to enjoy a cool peach on your porch. The phone rings just as you’re about to bite into it. You pick up the phone and forget about the peach.

 

The peach is still resting there a few days later. You notice the discolored and shattered section on which the fruit was lying when you take it up. Human skin can succumb to the same type of degradation, especially in the elderly, who are often left sitting or reclining in the same posture for long periods in their wheelchairs.

 

What are bedsores, and how to get rid of them?

 

Skin injuries caused by continuous pressure are known as bedsores. Pressure sores, pressure ulcers, pressure wounds, decubitus ulcers, and pressure injuries. It’s critical to clean the sores swiftly, frequently, and thoroughly if a person gets this ailment. Apply ointments, bandages, and the right wound dressing to it. For the sore to heal, the person must be adjusted regularly. If an infection develops, it has the potential to spread throughout the body, resulting in serious health problems.

 

Bedsores are most commonly found on the following parts of the body:

  • Tailbone
  • Arms and legs from the back (from wheelchairs)
  • Ankles
  • Heels
  • Backbones

 

Why are bedsores so common among the elderly?

 

The caretaker should assist patients who are unable to care for themselves appropriately. The caretaker should give them the right mattress pad for bed sores and the right vitamins and minerals they need to help heal the sore. Caretakers who neglect their patients are abdicating their responsibilities, and if a family member or coworker reports them to the relevant licensing organization, they could face harsh consequences. 

 

These sores are most likely to form in bedridden patients, cognitively challenged, or people who use transport chairs. These patients are frequently malnourished. Their body and skin are frail, putting them at a higher risk of developing bedsores. Bedsores can grow severely if not treated, and they can be exacerbated by prolonged exposure to moisture.

 

Patients who sweat excessively or sit for an extended period and those who sit idly in their excrement or urine risk infection in their sores. This illness could deteriorate to the point that it consumes the muscle, skin, and even bone.

 

What kind of patients are prone to bedsores the most?

 

Bedsores are more common in immobile people who are bedridden or unable to move without assistance. It will, in general, include:

 

  • Severe injury victims at the hospital

 

Bedsores can occur when a person is hospitalized due to a severe injury and has little control over their extremities. When a patient with a serious injury is admitted to the hospital for treatment and gets hospital-acquired bedsores, the plaintiff has the right to sue.

 

  • Patients who are at risk for certain diseases

 

Bedsores are more likely to develop in poor circulation or incontinence patients. To reduce the chance of developing bedsores, hospital staff should ensure that these patients use incontinence products, are turned and positioned frequently, and do not stay in the same position for more than two hours.

 

  • Patients suffering from specific medical conditions

 

Certain body areas in diabetic patients often lose or have decreased sensation. It is a red flag because many people aren’t conscious of pain or pressure issues, and they may not consider staying in the same posture for long hours. Avoid diabetes by monitoring the glucose level using a glucose meter every time they eat. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and arthritis are also at a higher risk of getting bedsores.

 

  • Patients in the intensive care unit

 

Patients who are critically ill and getting treatment in an ICU are usually unable to turn on their own. That’s why a good hospital bed mattress should be inputted on the patient’s bed because the patient can’t do any movements at the time.

 

  • Patients who have bad eating habits

 

Suppose a patient is sent to the hospital for malnutrition, dehydration, or other medical issues that signal a poor diet and limited appetite. In that case, hospital staff should watch them to make sure they change positions frequently. Dietary and nutritional supplements should be given too by the staff to the patients to regain their healthy living.

 

When does the bedsore become neglected?

 

When medical workers don’t follow best practices, it’s called neglect. They can prevent bedsores using mattress overlay bedsores and repositioning the patient. Neglect occurs when, for example, a nurse fails to reposition her patient every few hours, resulting in bedsore development. If a person is ignored, given poor care, or does not have early stages of bedsores recognized before they progress past stage I, bedsore claims are more likely because they can show neglect.

 

If you commit a loved one to the care of a hospital or nursing home, the caregivers have a responsibility to turn, reposition, or otherwise relieve the pressure on the skin of your loved one. They will cure it with the right antibiotic & septic if needed or put barrier cream on it. Bedsores are prone to occur if they do not do so. Neglect can result in bedsores if:

 

  • Caretakers do not provide adequate fluids and nutrients.
  • Patients’ discomfort or indicators of body irritation are unnoticed by caregivers.
  • Known bedsore goes untreated by caregivers.
  • Cushions to ease pressure are not provided by the caregivers.
  • Once every two hours, the patient is not moved by the caregivers.
  • The caregivers do not change the patients’ clothes and bedsheets.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Bedsores can be horrifying, with long-term and terrible consequences for patients and their families. It’s critical that when they happen, the care provider is held accountable for learning from their mistakes and ensuring that it doesn’t happen again to that patient or their coworkers. AvaCare Medical cares. We focused on products that will greatly help people with bedsores, from bedsore mattresses to wound care supplies. We got you!

Get a free card catalog today to learn more about the causes of bedsores and nursing homes’ responsibilities. To assist you, our team has crucial and legal information on hand. Please email us here at info@avacaremedical.com or contact us here at 1-877-813-7799 for more information.