My husband has a red area on his thigh which will not go away, I put lotion on it but does not seem to help. He sleeps a lot of that side and I wonder if he is starting to get a bed sore and what you do about them, I know you suppose to move then every so often but he just goes back to his favorite side. Anybody else have this problem.
All I know is when my Mother started getting a red spot the nurse had me prop rolled towels, etc. around the area to keep it from touching the bed. Hospice has access to a special mattress which is very good to keep them from getting bed sores. I don't know the stage your husband is in, but if he qualifies for Hospice I would recommend calling them in for an evaluation.
We do have a doctor apt January second and I will be asking about Hospice and lots of another questions. He is not in bed all day he does sit up some, he is just very weak and I should of done something sooner but it just came to me (bedsore??? ) I feel so bad for him, I am suppose to be taking care of him and look like I am not doing a very good job....I just feel lost.
Iowawife-I am a home health nurse only too familiar with bed sores (decubiti) and I have a few suggestions: sheepskin pad which you can get at a medical supply store, Duoderm patches to protect his skin, bolster pillow to prop him on his other side, and of course Hospice or at least home health which his sore would qualify him. Hope this helps and stop putting yourself down.
More than likely it is the beginning of a sore like Bluedaze says. but if your DH is in depends it could be a possible fungus or rubbing from the diaper??. the moisture of depends can produce a very nasty red fungus that wont go away without treatment. just a thought. if its lower than underwear then most likely a bedsore starting-i would ask dr about hospice as well, they have good treatment and special mattresses. Divvi
bluedaze - my husband wets through his Depends about half the time at night - how would that work with a sheepskin pad?
Iowawife, WRITE DOWN NOW! what you want to ask the doctor on Friday, and take it with you. It's so hard to remember everything when you get there! If you're husband's in the bed most of the time, it sounds like you really should be investigating Hospice. Remember, it's not just for the dying any more where dementia's concerned.
briegull=no sheep were killed for the skins, they are now synthetic and wash and dry well. I must confess that when we were in New Zealand I did bring home a real sheepskin rug. My Bassett hound went nuts.
iowawife- I would like something to add to your list. I type up a list to leave with the Doctor and he keeps it in his file. I make a list of DH current meds., problems, situations with DH in addition to the questions. I give it to the Nurse when we go in and he refers to it item by item while keeping it out of DH sight. I used to do the same with my Mom and he thanked me for doing it.
Ex. if I am having a problem with him insisting he can drive, the Doctor brings up the subject and addresses DH about why he should or should not be driving and DH will express himself better to the Doctor. Save a copy on your computer and you can compare situations the next time you go to the Dr.
bluedaze, we had real sheepskins too - there may be a piece of one around somewhere. We had friends who raised sheep and even a few cattle in a Vermont pasture, all friendly and natural and organic; when you ordered a sheep to be slaughtered and made freezer-ready, you got a skin too. My dogs adored them, but they didn't last too long under their care.
And the sheep farming didn't last forever either. After two seasons of devastating raids by coyotes, and after about 20+ years, they gave it up. I still miss the grass-fed meat.
Remember when I wrote about my DH having the diaper rash? Well, I took him out of the disposable underwear, have tried to assure he stayes clean, bought some OTC clotrimazole. We cleared the pubic and groin rash, but the one between the cheeks continues to be excoriated. In fact, an area even bled a bit. I've been putting Proshield plus (was in my mom's hospice supplies that I saved). It IS dimethicone. Well, I make him use some baby wipe, and try to assure he's clean (he still uses the toilet....just is at times unaware that he leaked a little BM, or doesn't get himself clean). STILL, we have the rash between the cracks. I'm beginning to think it has much more to do with "LAZY BOY-itis" than anything else. He sits a lot. A donut pillow might help, but I dunno that he'd use it.
Donut pillow for long period of time not a good idea. Causes more pressure on the rectum and can cause hemorrhoids. Is this more than you want to know :-)
This is a very old thread but I could not find a more recent one on this subject. Dh has diabetes, and a week ago the nurse who was doing the checkup almost panicked when I drew her attention to a sore spot on DH's heel. She was already upset about DH's high glucose levels: she thinks he ought to be on insulin but the PCP (her boss) disagrees. ANyway when she saw the sore she was afraid DH's feet were being affected by the diabetes and mentioned the danger of amputation. To make a long story short we had to go to the hospital twice to have it looked at. It turned out to be "just" a bedsore, probably caused by DH's sleeping long in one position. The surgeon who saw us today -- an older gentleman who took one look at Dh and knew exactly what he was dealing with -- said that it it is finally healing well. We don't have to go back but must keep watching out for bedsores. AD patients are susceptible if they are hampered in their movements and diabetics have poor circulation, so diabetic AD patients are a double risk. The spot at first looked just like a dark bruise. Later it developed a transparent skin across it, like a blister. Now it is drying up.
Jeanette-pressure sores take a lot longer to heal than they do to form. All boney parts need to be assested several times a day. You could try foam boots or an egg crate mattress to relieve pressure.
Sid is seen every 9 weeks by a podiatrist who specializes in diabetics. It is extremely important that diabetics' feet are checked regularly for sores, ingrown toenails, infections, etc. Because of poor circulation, sores heal very slowly, and can spread quickly, resulting in a situation that will require amputation. Every time Sid gets the tiniest sore, it is treated with oral antibiotics, topical antibiotics, and daily wound care.
Reading this is very freightening. This morning my dh was fine and then tonight I took off his socks and found these pressure sores! I am frantic and so dismayed. Nothing seems to be going right. Even the Hoyer wasn't working properly. Everything is happening so quickly and changes are almost daily. How do you cope?
brindle, don't be to frightened, the pressure sores if you just now saw them could not be very advanced, if they were not there yesterday, they may not even be pressure sores. My husband sometimes wakes up with red spots on his feet which go away once he is up.
As for the Hoyer lift, what is not working properly? Once ours stopped lifting and lowering him right in the middle of a transfer, it was the hydralic (not spelled correct) the hydralic was going bad, I had to call and they brought me a new lift. Once also the little screw in the middle where you turn was working out, just took a small screw driver to fix but of course I had to call for help with it as I did not know what was wrong. Don't let the lift go long without having it looked at.
Yes, it does seem like things happen fast and all at once then it levels out and you think well that was not so bad, why did I panic.
Just remember it will all work out in the end.
To the others who mentioned the special mattress that Hospice has it is called an air mattress. The one Hospice provided for us was horrible, my husband stayed sunk down in a hole in the middle. We purchased an air mattress ourselves and it is wonderful. So far no skin breakdown whatsoever and we are in the 11th year.
Thanks again, Jane. The sores on my dh's heals are definitely pressure sores - large black circle with red inflammed skin around them. As for the Hoyer, the handle just won't do anything off and on. Maybe there is a leak. Hopefully they will come out early tomorrow (at least by bedtime). I still have a problem getting the things under dh and straight. Turning dh to one side or the other is a real job and he does not understand and fights it. I try pushing things under at least half way but that doesn't seem to work well. Lots of trial and error. This morning I did not have the sling down far enough and had to put dh back into bed and readjust everything and start over. Some transfers are really good and others have to be re-done. Poor guy. Does the air mattress keep dh firm (our mattress sinks so much I think that is why it is hard to put anything under dh)? Do they come extra long (my dh is 6'2"). Thanks for the encouragement and loads of advice. Really appreciate it all.
Jane. What kind of air mattress do you have? I looked them up and they run from $40 to $10,000. Also do you need a special hospital bed for them? The one I rent is a spring fully automatic bed. The mattress is comfortable but not firm. I certainly don't want my dh to have anymore pressure sores popping up. Seems the more questions and answers the more questions and answers. I never would have thought of these things as I was trying so hard to avoid this. Thanks.
Brindle, have your doctor authorize the alternating pressure air mattress.....our insurance and Medicare paid for the rental of this along with the hospital bed.
brindle, The air mattress I have was $2,900. Medicare did not pay for this for us as my husband had no pressure sores or skin breakdown when I purchased it, we got it to help avoid any problems with the skin. Sandi is correct, if your husband already has skin breakdown then Medicare would pay for it. Medicare will pay for the Hospital bed brindle, right now your husband would qualify for the bed because it takes a lift to get him up.
If your husband already has skin breakdown then get the Doctor to order the prescription for the air mattress. It is not as easy to get Medicare to pay for the mattress as it is for the bed. He will have to have documented skin breakdown for the mattress.
No, you do not have to have a special bed for the air mattress, it fits a regular hospital bed.
The regular mattress that comes with the hospital bed always had a sunk in place and so did the air mattress that is why I got my own air mattress, it was worth it. I could hardly get my husband out of bed because of the sunk in hole in the regular mattress.
Brindle my question to you is Do you have Hospice???? I don't read all threads and am not sure if you have already said you have Hospice, if you do not you certainly qualify and if your Hospice was one like ours you would not even have to buy the supplies such as the cleansing foam, briefs, etc.
Jane, there was no skin breakdown at all. I just told the doctor I was bringing my husband home and that he would require the hospital bed and the air mattress. The next day they were both delivered and set up. Now, this was 6 years ago and maybe things have changed. All I paid was a copay for 15 months and then the equipment was ours.
Lynn has a Turn Select bed. It's electric, it gently repositions Lynn so he wont get bedsores. The regular air mattress no longer was enough. To avoid sores on the heels, Lynn has a foot pillow whenever he is in bed.
Have you taken you DH to have the sores checked out? They can break down so fast. I hope they heal soon!! big hugs ((Brindle))
thank you all for your support and answers. No my dh is not on Hospice as yet as he was able to get up just a couple of weeks ago. Apparently, with Kaiser, he has to be totally bedridden. I keep trying and phoning with changes so have to be patient. Hope our service has the air mattress - Now the turn select bed? Boy what next? The heel sores just showed up last night. I have pillows everywhere! I will check on the items you all have suggested. Thanks again.
brindle, The turn select bed that Nikki mentioned looks wonderful. I wish I had that one. May have to get that at some point. here is a good link to show you the picture.
Sandi, I could be wrong about Medicare requiring skin breakdown, after all the mattress is to prevent it. It may be just that the person has to be bedridden. I do know there are conditions that have to be in place before Medicare will pay for the air mattress. At any rate Brindle should qualify for both.
Hi, all. Well, I got a nurse here to look at dh's sores and she told me to put vasilene and the booties on him while in bed. Sometime later in the week, another nurse will come by to check on the progress. The nurse will also bring a condom catheter. Need to get a urine sample and this one sounds like there is no pain attached. Had the lift exchanged and the new one is quite different from the Hoyer. This is by Drive and very heavy. It opens wider which is nice for getting dh into his lift chair. The rings are a little tricky but need more practice. Had a couple of people from Comfort keepers to help me in am. Unfortunately, I had two different people and had to explain everything and show them how to use the lift, etc. which takes up a lot of the time. They want to wash and clean and I want them to take care of dh. Nice to have some help with morning changing as my back and arms were giving out and I was exhausted. I have someone until the end of the week and don't know if I want to do this again unless I can get someone for only two hrs a day instead of 4. After the bath, dressing, etc. there is really nothing for them to do. I'm still having problems turning dh onto side for changing. The split leg sling did not come - sent the wrong one. The nurse is ordering an air mattress and we shall see how that goes. By the way, I do have a co-pay on some of the items as they are rentals and Medicare does not pay for everything. The charges are not great they just add up with each new item. May have to move out of the bedroom as I am practically sleeping on the dresser.Good thing we have a sense of humor. Will keep you posted and thanks again for all of the wonderful advice and support.
Nikki, I am wondering, with the turn select mattress that Lynn has, could the turn selection be set so that it turns the patient to where a sling can be slipped under the back while they are on one side and then turn them so that they are laying on the sling and let it turn them to get the sling to the other side??? visualize that for me and tell me if you think it is possible????
From the research I did on the mattress it looks like the settings could be made to turn at different levels of time but I am not sure.
Jane, I see where your thinking is going, and it was a good thought!!... however, the bed does not actually "turn" them. I believe it only goes to 30 degrees and only does lateral rotations. The problem is that Lynn "turns" with the mattress, so this would not make putting the sling under him easier for me. My trouble is that I can not shift his weight alone. I just can't get him on his side, or even lift his upper body up to slide the sling under him that way. It causes too much pressure in my head where I have the "plug" from surgeries. For someone who didn't have my medical issues your idea would help the caregiver a lot!
Nikki, I also have health issues, nerve damage in my back which prevents me from pulling my husband forward or turning him on his side. I have to leave the sling under him when I put him in bed the mornings that I have no one coming to help me get him up. that is not often, only in special times. I have had to do that about 3 different times but I was hoping that the mattress you have with Lynn would allow me to make the turn with the mattress, lay the sling down and then let the mattress turn him back onto the sling. I keep searching for a way to do this all alone as far as placing the sling.
I have even thought of raising the hospital bed to the sit up position and waiting until he leans forward just a little bit so that I could slip it behind him. My mind is always on this challenge. they send people to the moon, they should be able to make a product that would help with this.
I am still trying to find a way to do this alone as well. I will keep experimenting and will ask the nurses to demonstrate just how far the mattress will turn. I have never controlled the bed myself, they have always done it, so I am really not sure. They have it set on a low gentle shifting of his weight. He lays only on his back so the bed is more for preventing skin break down than maneuvering him. I will let you know what I find out :)
On Medicare and the alternating pressure air mattress...last week my Dad was released from the hospital to a NH. I inquired at the 2 NH's we looked at whether Medicare would pay for this type of mattress, and the NH staff said it would NOT unless there already was skin breakdown. My Dad is 96, his skin is very thin and I thought perhaps it would be a good preventive measure...but, no go.
there are some very inexpensive APP alternating air pressure pads by Med Line and Invacare less than 100dol that work well as precurors and preventative measures prior to breakdown. we got an air system today thru hospice via medicare for pressure sore prevention. DH does have a small spot on his ankle that we found today. the hospice people say that they have to have approval for one of the expensive systems and documented skin breakdown for approval.
Further proof just how different the rules are from state to state. It was the nursing homes suggestion to get him this special, very expensive mattress. It was preapproved by medicare as a preventative measure because he is bedridden. Perhaps it has something to do with a doctor ordering it and not a relative suggesting it?
Nikki, Thank you for offering to ask the staff about my idea and if it would work. I will wait to hear as if it is a possibility then I definitely will order one. That would be a life saver for me. Since the sling that I have only has to go from the shoulder to the bottom of the back and not under the bottom if the mattress turned him to his side I could lay down the sling and when it turned him back over I could pull the other side under Oh the joy that would be. sounds to good to be true.
You are most welcome Jane. I am close to several of the staff there and would want to wait until they could assist me, so it might take a couple of days. Do you have a facebook account? I could take pictures of just how much it does turn for you.
Nikki--I will keep it in mind, but thankfully my Dad isn't bedbound nor on hospice...so even though he is 96. I am thinking he is probably in too good shape to get it under Medicare as preventive!
Jane, so sorry it took so long to get back to you! We tested and retested the bed. It will not do what you were hoping. In fact the head nurse said the instructions say the bed has to be flat is you shift their weight. I hope you find something that works! And if you do, please let me know
Nikki, thank you so much. They send people to the moon but cannot come up with a way to deal with this sling position for people like you and me. I will keep trying. Thank you for asking for me. Now I will know if I buy the mattress it will be for position turning only.