Pressure ulcers are largely preventable with appropriate repositioning, skin ass...
Pressure ulcers — also known as pressure injuries or bedsores — represent a significant patient safety concern in housebound and bedbound elderly individuals. They develop when sustained pressure over bony prominences (sacrum, heels, hips, ankles) impairs blood flow to the skin and underlying tissues, causing ischaemia, tissue death and ultimately open wounds that can become infected and life-threatening. Despite being largely preventable, pressure ulcers continue to affect a substantial proportion of patients in home care settings.
For home care nurses, pressure ulcer prevention begins with a thorough risk assessment using validated tools such as the Waterlow or Braden scales on every patient admission and at regular intervals thereafter. High-risk patients require repositioning schedules, pressure-relieving mattresses and cushions, meticulous skin inspection at every visit, nutritional optimisation and moisture management. When ulcers do develop, wound care nurses must select appropriate dressings, monitor for signs of infection and coordinate with tissue viability specialists as indicated.
Mehermedics places wound care-trained nurses with home health agencies across all six of our destination countries, and maintains active partnerships with tissue viability specialist networks to provide remote clinical supervision and second opinions for complex wound presentations.
