According to the New York Times article below, in a study of a collaborative program involving 52 nursing homes around the country, The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reported that team efforts had reduced the number of severe pressure ulcers acquired in-house by 69 percent. Experts estimate that two million Americans suffer from pressure ulcers each year, usually through some combination of immobility, poor nutrition, dehydration and incontinence. This relatively new research suggests that the battle against bedsores requires a team approach, enlisting everyone from nurses and nursing assistants to laundry workers, nutritionists, maintenance workers and even in-house beauticians.
This should not be a surprise to anyone familiar with the nursing home environment. It is vitally important for residents at risk for pressure ulcers to receive appropriate care and attention from all employees listed above. A lapse in one area for even a short period of time can lead to the development and progression of an otherwise preventable pressure ulcer.
Website Resources:
Fighting Bedsores With a Team Approach, Amanda Schaffer, New York Times, February 19, 2008.
