The Motionless Doom

For the common mobile person this might be something that does not even cross one’s mind or even come up as a thought as something that can actually happen, but the immobile person not only thinks about it, but also should have great concern. The issue we are talking about is: bedsores, which are also known as, pressure ulcers, pressure sores or decubitus ulcers.

Definition and causes of Bed Sores: According to Medical News Today.com

Bedsores are skin lesions, which can be caused by friction, humidity, temperature, continence, medication, shearing forces, age and unrelieved pressure. Any part of the body may be affected; bony or cartilaginous areas, such as the elbows, knees, ankles and sacrum are most commonly affected. The sacrum is a triangular bone at the base of the spine and the upper and back part of the pelvic cavity (like a wedge between the two hip bones).

Who is affected?

Wheelchair users (especially those with spinal injury), frail elderly people, terminally ill people, people that cannot move parts of their bodies, people with decreased mental awareness or patients that are sedated, basically anyone that cannot change position without assistance can acquire bedsores.

What areas are more affected?

Ankles	Back of arms	Back of legs	Back of the head
Breasts (females)	Buttocks	Elbows	Genitals (males)
Heels	Knees	Rims of the ears	Shoulders
Shoulder Blades	Spine	Tailbone	Toes

Signs and Symptoms

·         Discoloration: In light-skinned people the skin might turn red or dark purple. In dark-skinned people the skin might become darker than normal in the affected area.

·         There can be a bad odor from the area

·         The skin will swell around the sore

·         Warmth or redness around the affected area

·         Pus – In yellow or green color

·         Decreased mobility in the individual

·         The area affected may be painful

There are four stages of bed sores depending on their severity.

The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, USA, defines each stage as follows:

·         Stage I - starts as a persistent area of red skin, which may be itchy, painful and may also feel warm, spongy or firm when touched. Among people of African ancestry, and individuals with darker skin, the mark may seem to have a bluish/purplish cast; it may even look ashen or flaky. As soon as the pressure is relieved, the sore generally goes away rapidly.

·         Stage II - skin loss has already taken place. This could be in the epidermis (the outer layer of skin), or the dermis (deeper down in the skin) - sometimes both. The pressure ulcer is at this point an open sore, similar to an abrasion or a blister. The surrounding tissue may appear red or purple.

·         Stage III - there is now a deep wound, like a crater; the damage has gone below the skin. There is skin loss which occurs throughout the entire thickness of the skin. The underlying muscles and bone are not damaged.

·         Stage IV - the most severe type of ulcer. Skin is severely damaged and there is tissue necrosis (surrounding tissue starts to die). Underlying muscles or bone (or both) may also be damaged. Tendons and joints may also be damaged. At this point there is a serious risk of developing a life-threatening infection.

Bedsores are something that can be easily avoided by moving the individual around every hour or so, making sure that their skin is in a dry healthy condition and maintaining a proper diet for the individual, amongst other things, is crucial in keeping the individual bedsore-free.

The trouble begins once bedsores appear and what stage level they are in once they are noticed. Depending on the stage the bedsores are in, it can become quite hard to treat in certain situations, especially when it has reached a stage IV that has even lead to death all too often. This is when being trap in a bed or a chair can become the cause of death for the individual.

First Care of New York is a licensed home care agency that not only provides home care services, but also trains all of its aides can provide you and your loved ones the proper care; you/they will need especially for those that are in this type of situation. Our certified home health aides can assist with all activities of daily living such as: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, cooking, cleaning, changing of bed linens, moving the patient around if needed, laundry, run errands and even assist with going to doctor visits. We can help anywhere in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan and we also accept many forms of payment from Medicaid, Private Insurance, Workers Compensation, as well as private paying clients. If you would like more information, please feel free to give us a call at 718-364-7251 x9 or check out our website at http://www.1st-care.org/.