Three Ways You Can Prevent Your Parents From Getting Bedsores
One of the most difficult things that can happen to your parents when they become bed bound is becoming susceptible to bedsores. If they aren't treated, they can quickly become infected. These sores are created by a constant pressure over time on various points on your body. They form from the inside and are only discovered once they break through the surface of the skin. Because they are so hard to find, the best way to protect your parent is to take preventative measures. Here are three ways that you can protect your parent from bedsores.
Alternating pressure beds
Get an alternating pressure mattress. These beds use air pressure to prevent your parent from having too much continuous pressure on any given point on their body. By alleviating the standard pressure points that your parent naturally rests on, bed sores are far less likely to occur. It additionally helps to increase blood flow to the back and extremities, thus lowering the probability of bed sores or necrosis due to a lack of circulation.
Specialized pillows
Use memory foam pillows. Memory foam evens out the pressure over the entire area of your parent's head. As a result, they won't develop any sores on their ears or the back of their skull. Take extra care of their ears, as the lack of blood flow to them can cause necrosis and other sores that won't heal easily, if at all. If you notice a slight sore on an ear, don't ignore it. Instead, use an antibacterial cream to prevent infection and avoid putting pressure on it until it is healed. Additionally, keep the wound moist so that the body can naturally attempt to heal it. This may put additional pressure on other areas of their body, so use additional pillows as necessary to create a safe environment for your parent.
Manual rotation
Regularly rotate your parent. One of the easiest ways to keep your parent from getting bed sores is to manually rotate them in their bed. Make sure that they are comfortable, but rotate them frequently so that they aren't in a single position for too long. While you are rotating, give a light massage to the areas that were previously on the mattress to return blood flow to them. Use pillows to help prop them up so that they don't fall back to their earlier position accidentally.
As you do these things, your parent's health will improve and they will be able to live the rest of their life in far less pain and discomfort.