Who is at risk from bed sores
03/07/2010
Bed sores are also known as pressure sores or pressure ulcers and they case great discomfort but can be neglected and not talked about, so people are unaware of how these develop.
There are many types of people who are at increased risk of getting bed sores. These include those with mobility issues such as people stuck in hospital after an operation, or those physically disabled and unable to move easily. But it also includes many elderly people for a variety of reasons.
For elderly people, they are more at risk of developing bed sores if they become very inactive or who have developed incontinence problems. The dampness on the skin caused by incontinence makes the skin more susceptible to damage and developing bed sores. Inactivity can be caused by many reasons; being physically mobile from on operation or physical disability is an obvious reason. But some illnesses or dementia can prevent the person recognising their discomfort, and prevent them from normally moving their bodies to naturally prevent pressure sores from developing.
The ways of preventing bed sores involve keeping the skin dry and moving the position regularly to prevent friction from rubbing the skin.
You can use specially designed sheets, pillowcases, underwear and bootees which are designed to avoid friction and shear on the skin and tissue. Parafricta has produced products designed to help prevent bed sores through reducing the friction with the skin.
