ELDERS ACQUIRE BED SORES IN ED

Hospitals Emergency departments can cause harm to Elderly seeking Emergency care. The environment is extremely noisy and understaffed and very tight spaced that distresses the already confused and anxious elder patient. Elders render themselves incontinent due to the facilities and are subject to lying on hospital stretcher for at least 6 hours (and upwards to 6 days if there are no beds). Pressure injuries are one of the most common unsafe occurrences for elders in hospitals and they start in the ED.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a sore can develop if blood supply is cut off for more than 2 to 3 hours. If there is pressure on the skin on one side, and bone on the other, the skin and underlying tissue may not receive an adequate blood supply. Sustained pressure can cut off circulation to vulnerable parts of the body. Without an adequate supply of blood, body tissues can die.

Anyone who stays in one place for a long time and who cannot change position without help is at risk of developing pressure sores. The risks are greater in the Geriatric patients who have thinner skin, and poor nutrition. Add some wet underpants and the poor skin does not have a fighting chance.

Families need to plea with Case Management to provide comfortable appropriate beds for Elders if medical investigation will take some time. Given the multiple secondary diagnosis with each Elder, ruling out and investigations will be longer than the average adult. This may require admissions to a Geriatric Medical Unit. Families will need to keep a family appointed caregiver alongside their elder to ensure that their position is turned hourly.

Emergency room nurses on average manages 15 patients at the same time. They do not have the time to provide more direct care for elders. Our poor Elders, non-communicative, vulnerable, frail and helpless require special attention. The Emergency Department requires a whole new design and consideration to cater towards the needs of the Geriatric patient.

Aman Home Nursing can provide private duty nurses to attend to Elders in the hospital to provide assistance with toileting function, nutrition and skin pressure injury prevention. Aman Home Nursing Dubai are committed to delivering safe patient care. Aman nurses are ranked as one of the top nursing teams in the country through the adoption of Canadian Best Practice Guidelines.