Speaking on Skin'''

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Speaking on Skin...
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The Problem of Pressure Ulcers

• Expensive (high cost of treatment)
• Deadly (shorter time until death)
• Painful (this and other medical problems, too)
• PREVENTABLE!!!

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How to Lose Skin Integrity in 5 Ways

• (A Reverse Psychology Approach)

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1. Dont turn and reposition

• Turning and repositioning your residents is the
  single best way to prevent pressure ulcers
• Every 2 hours is the standard practice
• It may actually be better to turn hourly
• People in wheelchairs need to be respositioned as
  well.

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2. Let people lay in poop

• When urine and feces come into contact with the
  skin, they start to eat away at it.
• Keep the skin clean and dry

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3. Forget them bones

• Pay attention to bony prominences
• The ankle is the best example
• Pressure ulcers are more likely to develop over
  them
• Find a way to pad or protect

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4. Shear till the sun goes down

• Shear is what happens when you have two surfaces
  sliding against each other
• Occurs when moving someone up in the bed
• Causes skin tears as well as pressure ulcers
• Also caused by wrinkles in the sheets

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5. Raise the head of the bed

• This puts pressure on the residents butt
• The butt area (ischium, saccrum) is the most
  common site for pressure ulcer development

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Skin Checks

• Be sure to check everyones skin at least weekly.
  
• Record/report anything to the nurse that isnt
  normal redness, warmth or coldness,
  or open areas

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Questions?