What are pressure sores and why do they matter?
A pressure sore, also called a bed sore or pressure injury, is damage to the skin from staying in one position. It happens fastest where bone sits close under the skin.
It matters because it hurts, it can become infected, and it can take a long time to heal. Prevention is far easier than treatment.
The good news is that families can prevent most of them with simple daily habits.
Who is at risk, and where do they form?
Anyone who cannot easily shift their own weight is at risk. That includes people who are bedridden, weak after a stroke, in a wheelchair for long hours, very thin, or who cannot feel their skin.
Look at the bony places: the tailbone, hips, heels, ankles, elbows, shoulder blades and the back of the head.
In Ipoh’s heat, sweat and damp sheets make skin softer and easier to break down. Keep that in mind when you choose bedding and clothes.
What is a two-minute skin check?
Do it at washing time, every day, in good light. Your helper can do it with a quick lesson.
- Look at each pressure spot for redness, a blister or broken skin.
- Press gently on any red patch. If it stays red when you let go, take the pressure off and tell the nurse.
- Feel for warmth, swelling or a hard area.
- Check between the legs, under the breasts or in skin folds, where moisture hides.
- Look at the heels and ankles, which are easy to miss.
Write a note on the phone. If something changes, a photo helps the nurse.
How do you take pressure off?
Change position regularly through the day and night, on the schedule the doctor or nurse gave. Lift or slide her with a sheet rather than dragging, because friction harms skin.
Use pillows to keep knees and ankles from pressing together, and to lift the heels off the mattress. A special mattress or cushion may help, and the doctor or nurse can advise.
In a chair, shift weight regularly. Our glossary entry on pressure injury explains the terms, and bed mobility shows safe movement.
How do you keep skin dry and healthy in Ipoh?
Change damp clothes and sheets quickly, and dry skin folds gently after washing. Use cotton and loose clothing that breathes.
Keep her well fed and drinking, as the doctor allows, because healthy skin needs good nutrition. If she is incontinent, clean and dry the skin soon after each episode.
Do not rub or massage red areas. Use a soft, fragrance-free skin care product the nurse suggests.
When should you see a doctor or nurse?
Tell them the same day about a red patch that does not fade, a blister, an open sore or any new pain at a pressure spot.
Go urgently if there is a bad smell, pus, spreading redness, fever or the patient is drowsy or confused. These can be signs of infection.
How can a home visit help?
We look at her bed, cushion, chair and routine, and set up positioning that spreads the pressure. We teach you and the helper to turn, lift and check, with the real bed and real equipment.
Read about bedridden patient physiotherapy and bedridden parent care in Ipoh. Our Canning Garden centre, near Fatimah Hospital, is opening soon, and home visits across Ipoh are available now.