Bed sores

[garfield3]

Hello all,
Hope things are not too bad and you are hanging in there on this long sad journey.

A quick question or two - some background.Mum is 93yrs and at end stage dementia , non mobile,incontinent,eats very little,weight drifting down - 53.4 kg, speech limited and talks nonsense and sleeps a lot during the day. She has now got the startings of a bed sore on her bum.The nurses said she will need to be turned every 2 hrs at night. They are keeping an eye on it. Is this the start of the end or just a blip? Do all end stage patients get bed sores? I've googled it and it isn't very clear.

Thanks.

 

[Theresalwaystomorrow]

Hi
You say on her bum is it by the coccyx? If so this is a PSC pilonidal sinus cyst, these can have 2/3 tracks going off them and are extreamly painful
Only cure is operation because they can come and go, my mum has this but because she is late stages and double incontinent it’s too much of a infection risk because it’s an open wound. This has been on and off for mum for 2yrs but she is increasingly getting infection after infection now, she has leg ulcer infection, water infection and this PSC, so it do get worst and time goes on.
This is a cruel cruel disease and with AB I often wonder are we prolonging life or death!
Get this checked out ASAP if you can and keep posting

 

[Kevinl]

No one should get bed sores if they're being treated correctly, over 40 years ago when I was a student nurse I asked about them to a ward sister, think Hattie Jacques then add some.
"No one gets them on my ward" she told me and in 2 placements on that ward each 3 months long I never saw anyone, first sign and she was on the case in full; navy blue uniform, big apron, daft hat ward sister mode.
The Pilonidal Sinus is possible but unlikely as it's an infection within the spine and doesn't really have an external manifestation in the way that bed sores do. My wife had 3 operations for this condition in her early 20's and I could never see what the problem was as it's internalised unlike bedsores which are obvious from the skin going pink to red and then skin fracturing.
In a care home I'd keep on top of it, in a nursing home I'd expect better, my wife's in a nursing home and I regularly hear the staff say "two hour turning time" and a couple of them go off to turn the bed bound residents, even the ones who are having a bad day and don't want to get up get checked on and moved.
Because the home my wife's in is part of a large group they have lots of resources so getting her an electric bed with bumper bars and an electric reclining chair wasn't an issue they find one somewhere, same for "airflow" cushions and airflow mattresses, if a resident needs one they magic one up from somewhere from head office.
I've never in over 2 years in the home heard of any of the residents getting bed sores only things done to prevent them, if there is an issue then it's usually flagged up by the CQC report which does make note of that as a definite black mark.
As an aside the first time I heard of Pilonidal Sinus was back in the 1970's when it was called "jeep drivers' a**e" by one of the consultants as it's caused by a hair growing back into a follicle and getting infected usually pushed there by the hard seat in a WW2 jeep, more commonly now it's called cab drivers crack, how times have changed.
K

 

[Lindy50]

Goodness @Kevinl you're a mine of information!

@garfield3 i think the answer to your question is that no, bed sores are not inevitable - far from it. Hopefully the regular turning will help prevent your Mum getting one x

 

[garfield3]

Thanks for your replies. Mum has been in a nursing home for nearly 4 yrs now.l do have a nagging feeling that it could be sloppy nursing. There are a lot of agency staff. I'll get more information when I phone them to the exact location of the bed sore.

I remember my gran being bed bound and having the district nurse come in to dress them. Late 70s-early 80s though hopefully things are better a bit better now

 

[Daffy123]

My Dad got a bed sore in hospital on his feet. They said they had tucked his feet in too tightly. Later he came home and Mum and I turned him less than we should have and unfortunately he got another one. It's very important to turn, even when they look very comfortable and peaceful.