Avoiding Bedsores

As our bodies age, the skin begins to thin at the surface.  This explains why the elderly can bruise easily and are also frequently cold.  It is important as your loved one declines in mobility that you be aware of ways to avoid bed sores and contractures.  One thing that may seem silly, is to never go to bed with the sheets tucked in at the bottom of the bed.  A tucked in top sheet can cause toes to contract, which can cause further mobility issues.  It is also important to let your loved one move as much as is feasible.

Bed sores and contractures occur when the body sits or lays in one position for too long without movement or blood flow.  Simply by having your loved one shift their seating, stand up for a minute, walk about the room, repositioned with pillows during sleep. etc. you can help to avoid bedsores and contractures.  If you see persistent reddening in an area, most frequently noticed at the sacral area of the spine, it is important to begin to apply barrier cream and keep your loved one off of the area receiving too much pressure. A bedsore can turn necrotic (septic or deadly) in a hurry if left unattended.  So try to assess or have your caregiver assess your loved one's body on a regular basis, such as with toileting or changing clothes.

When confronting issues of incontinence care with the added difficulty of decreased mobility, special care should be given to the sacral area.  This area is often affected by urine at night and then when pressure is added from sitting or laying in bed, infectious sores can develop in a hurry.  I recommend using a barrier cream such as +Boudreaux's Butt Paste to try to prevent redness and skin breakdown.

I am going to post a link today, as this will have a lot of encouragement and ideas on this site.  Here you go: www.facebook.com/ComforcareAustin and it is my place of employment. Love these folks!