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Top Prevention Tips
Reduce Pressure on Bony Body Parts
Avoid lying or sitting in one position for long periods. Shift your weight often. Even small changes in position can be effective in reducing pressure.
If you spend a lot of time in bed, make sure the head of the bed is not raised too high or for long periods of time. Sitting in bed with the head raised puts extra pressure on your sitting bones and can cause you to slide down the sheets, perhaps resulting in a friction or shear injury. The standard rule is not to raise the head of the bed past 30 degrees.
If you have difficulty moving often, you have other options:
- Ask for help to move.
- Make sure you and your caregivers know how to shift your position without subjecting you to friction or shear forces (caused by dragging along the surface of the bed or chair).
- Use transfer devices such as a trapeze bar or transfer board if necessary. Your health-care provider can tell you about these and help you decide which options are best for you.
- If you like to lie on your side, you may be in danger of developing a pressure ulcer over your hip bone. Tucking pillows or wedges under you may help to reduce pressure by spreading your weight more evenly over a larger area. A health professional can show you effective ways to do this. As well, pillows between your feet can prevent your ankles from touching each other, and pillows between your knees can help to prevent your knees from touching each other. Both of these are potential areas for pressure ulcer development when there is bone-on-bone contact.
- Pillows can also be useful if you are unable to move your lower body. They can be placed under your calves to keep your heels raised off the bed—another potential trouble spot.
- Use one of the many types of special mattresses to help with the prevention of pressure ulcers. The mattressess may contain air, water or foams that help to spread body weight over larger areas. Mattresses for this purpose range widely in price and effectiveness. A trained professional can help you choose the mattress that will suit you best.
Protect Your Skin
Inspect skin daily. Look for changes to the skin, especially if you see red areas on the skin. Changes to darker skin may show as a darker than usual colour. Pay special attention to bony areas. Some bony areas are difficult to see, so use a mirror or have someone else do the inspection.
Keep skin clean and dry. Moisturize as necessary, usinge only non-irritating moisturizers. If your skin is too moist, powders may be useful. If you take baths, the water should be warm, not hot.
Protect skin from excessive moisture from perspiration, urine or feces. The enzymes in urine and fecal matter can be very damaging to the skin, setting it up for breakdown under pressure. Protect the skin from the effects of incontinence (loss of bowel and bladder function) through the use of a skin barrier and incontinence pad. If skin becomes soiled, clean it immediately with a soft sponge or cloth and a mild soap. Care should be taken not to irritate the skin further.
Do not rub reddened areas of skin. This will cause more damage.
Eat Well
Eat a well-balanced diet to maintain good general health and skin health, both of which help to prevent pressure ulcers.
Drink plenty of fluids to keep skin healthy and hydrated.
If you have trouble swallowing or have other eating difficulties, consult a nutrition expert to help you with a nutrition plan.
Stay Active
If you can move, move! The more active you can be, the lower your risk of pressure ulcers will be. Some people like to be active, but others will need help and encouragement to get out of bed, or off the chair, and go for regular walks, swim, or do other activities. If you are one of those who has difficult being active, try to plan some time during each day when you do some activity—at whatever level you can. If you make it a regular part of your day, it will soon become a good habit. Being active not only reduces the risk for pressure ulcers, it also stimulates blood flow and reduces the risk for other problems that arise from long periods of immobility—and it often makes you feel just great!
