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About Adam Peck Nursing homes are understaffed, and the big problem seems to be workload. Only 41 percent of the facilities agreed that the facility had enough staff to handle residents’ needs safely, and almost two-thirds agreed that staff had to hurry because there was too much work to do.
Size matters — a lot, though it’s not clear why. In nursing homes with 49 or fewer beds, 77 percent of staff awarded their facility high safety ratings overall. In facilities with more than 100 beds, only 59 percent would.
If you have ever been confined to bed for any length of time, you probably understand how bedridden people can develop pressure ulcers, also known as bedsores.
Lack of movement greatly reduces circulation in the body, and pressure against the skin reduces blood supply to that area and the affected tissue dies. Pressure ulcers start as a red area of the skin that does not turn white when pressed. This develops into a blister or open sore and then forms a crater.
Pressure ulcers are very painful and tend to develop more on areas where the bones are close to the skin, such as elbows, heels, hips, ankles, shoulders, back and the back of the head, although they can certainly form anywhere on the body.
While there are many different therapies for preventing and treating pressure ulcers such as using sheepskin and powders sprinkled on bedding to reduce friction, one of the best and most proven therapies is to use a Low Air Loss and Alternating Pressure Mattress.
The longer it takes for any wound to heal, the greater the risk of infection, re-hospitalization or surgery.
Anyone with circulatory issues such as those with diabetes, severe burns or obesity, or individuals who are unable to move due to brain injuries or disabilities can certainly benefit from an overlay air mattress that not only provides effective pressure redistribution, but by combining the overlay with the microprocessor-controlled pump, it provides direct low air loss at the interface of the patient and the support surface to assist in managing the microclimate to help prevent skin maceration.
Lower urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality for adults in long-term care (LTC).1 Community studies have shown prevalence rates of bacteriuria to be 11% in the elderly, 18% for those living in congregate living arrangements, and 25-50% for residents in nursing home environments. In fact, the most common cause of bacteremia in LTC residents is due to UTIs.
The prevalence of UTI increases in both sexes with age, resulting in a female-to-male ratio of 2:1 in the elderly population. The annual incidence of symptomatic bacterial UTIs is estimated to be as high as 10%. For asymptomatic bacteriuria, the estimated cumulative prevalence is 30% in women and 10% in men. Interestingly, the female-to-male ratio in the incidence of UTI narrows in the elderly population, which is thought to be related to the fact that with increasing age, men develop an increase in residual urinary volume after voiding, which increases their risk of bacteriuria and UTI; women engage in less sexual activity with age, and thus have one less predisposing risk factor for introduction of bacteria into the urinary tract.