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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
The best way to prevent bedsores, is by frequently repositioning the patient to avoid stress on the skin. Other strategies include taking good care of their skin, maintaining good nutrition and fluid intake, quitting smoking, managing stress, and exercising daily. You can use an alginate dressing, which is made from seaweed and contains sodium and calcium, which are known to speed up the healing process of bedsores. Also hydrocolloid dressings that contain a gel, encourages the growth of new skin cells in the ulcer, while keeping the surrounding healthy skin dry.
Bedsores come from pressure, not dry skin, so creams don't do anything. You have to prevent them from ever developing.
You can't leave someone sitting/lying in the same position for hours on end. It's very common to get them on the heels just from being on your back in bed, and once they've developed, they're a bear to heal up (if they ever do). My mother had one on her heel for 7 1/2 months that never did heal up before she died, and her heel looked like someone had just scooped out most of the "meat" (sorry for the visual) and left a huge crater. She had wound care for that thing the entire time she had it, and avoiding infection was all that we were really able to accomplish toward its healing.
An air mattress that automatically adjusts pressure is the best place to start, along with the suggestions from FunkyGrandma. You MUST move them frequently (every hour or two at minimum) to prevent them.
"Bedsores" more appropriately called "Pressure Sores" are caused by lack of good circulation NOT as a result of dry skin. Creams and lotions are not going to help as much as you would like. The things you can do. Change the position of the person frequently. Every 2 hours is a good plan. Make sure there are no wrinkles in any fabric under the person. This includes clothing, bedding and incontinent pads or briefs. When the person is sitting getting movement on a routine basis is a good idea. Even in a recliner just raising or lowering the back or legs , trying to get them to sit up a bit more if they begin to slide down. In the recliner place a wedge under the bottom part of the leg, near the ankle to keep the heels up so pressure is minimized there. In bed turning them to one side or the other, alternating sides and back. If they are in a hospital bed lowering the head of the bed and raising the foot can make it easier for you to slide them up or down. Getting a mattress that has air flow or alternating pressure will help.
A pressure sore can develop ANYPLACE there is pressure that inhibits blood flow. Buttocks, back of the shoulders, calves, even the back of the head is not unheard of. Look for ANY signs of pink to the skin that is different than surrounding skin. Look for any blisters that might show up.
If you are using a barrier cream when changing (if this is necessary) pat the cream on lightly do not rub it on. Rubbing can tear the skin and it also puts more on than is necessary and it makes it difficult to get it off. Not being able to clean the skin properly allows bacteria to grow and the area is a warm moist environment that bacteria love.
The items that have helped the most for my mom is the alternating air mattress bed - also a product called the purewick (which collects the urine so her skin stays dryer) - barrier creams (I use dr smiths barrier zinc spray) so I don’t have to rub onto her skin and I can spray it on. Ag dressings for the wound.
If your loved one is at home - I would make sure a nurse/wound care (through home health) is overseeing the sore - they will change bandages and supply you with products) - if your loved one is in a facility please make sure to ask for a wound care specialist to oversee and place orders for the nurses to use to care for the sore.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
You can use an alginate dressing, which is made from seaweed and contains sodium and calcium, which are known to speed up the healing process of bedsores. Also hydrocolloid dressings that contain a gel, encourages the growth of new skin cells in the ulcer, while keeping the surrounding healthy skin dry.
You can't leave someone sitting/lying in the same position for hours on end. It's very common to get them on the heels just from being on your back in bed, and once they've developed, they're a bear to heal up (if they ever do). My mother had one on her heel for 7 1/2 months that never did heal up before she died, and her heel looked like someone had just scooped out most of the "meat" (sorry for the visual) and left a huge crater. She had wound care for that thing the entire time she had it, and avoiding infection was all that we were really able to accomplish toward its healing.
An air mattress that automatically adjusts pressure is the best place to start, along with the suggestions from FunkyGrandma. You MUST move them frequently (every hour or two at minimum) to prevent them.
The things you can do.
Change the position of the person frequently. Every 2 hours is a good plan.
Make sure there are no wrinkles in any fabric under the person. This includes clothing, bedding and incontinent pads or briefs.
When the person is sitting getting movement on a routine basis is a good idea. Even in a recliner just raising or lowering the back or legs , trying to get them to sit up a bit more if they begin to slide down.
In the recliner place a wedge under the bottom part of the leg, near the ankle to keep the heels up so pressure is minimized there.
In bed turning them to one side or the other, alternating sides and back.
If they are in a hospital bed lowering the head of the bed and raising the foot can make it easier for you to slide them up or down.
Getting a mattress that has air flow or alternating pressure will help.
A pressure sore can develop ANYPLACE there is pressure that inhibits blood flow. Buttocks, back of the shoulders, calves, even the back of the head is not unheard of.
Look for ANY signs of pink to the skin that is different than surrounding skin.
Look for any blisters that might show up.
If you are using a barrier cream when changing (if this is necessary) pat the cream on lightly do not rub it on. Rubbing can tear the skin and it also puts more on than is necessary and it makes it difficult to get it off. Not being able to clean the skin properly allows bacteria to grow and the area is a warm moist environment that bacteria love.
The items that have helped the most for my mom is the alternating air mattress bed - also a product called the purewick (which collects the urine so her skin stays dryer) - barrier creams (I use dr smiths barrier zinc spray) so I don’t have to rub onto her skin and I can spray it on. Ag dressings for the wound.
If your loved one is at home - I would make sure a nurse/wound care (through home health) is overseeing the sore - they will change bandages and supply you with products) - if your loved one is in a facility please make sure to ask for a wound care specialist to oversee and place orders for the nurses to use to care for the sore.