The Best Way to Deal With Pressure Ulcers is to Prevent Them Before They Start

Written by Adam Peck Category: Bed Sores January 26th, 2013 2 min read

Maintaining or improving the ability to move around is one of the most effective ways to minimize the risk of developing bed sores, pressure ulcers also known as decubitus ulcers.

People who are not confined to bed should be encouraged to move from bed to chair and to stand and walk. Attention to posture, balance, and weight distribution (eg, shifting weight every 15 minutes) can help people when sitting. People who are bedbound can still benefit from various exercises that put their joints through a range of motion.

Bedbound people should be repositioned frequently to relieve pressure over bony areas. How often someone should be repositioned depends on the person’s health and the quality of the supporting surface (e.g., some beds are designed to decrease the pressure on bony areas of the body). Older adults at risk of developing pressure ulcers should be repositioned at least every 2 hours.

People who are likely to develop pressure ulcers should be repositioned often, changing from the back to their right side and then to their left side, keeping the back at a 30° angle to the bed surface. This avoids direct pressure on the bony areas of the lower back, hips, heels, and ankles – the sites where 80% of all pressure ulcers develop.

– from Steven Peck, Senior Attorney at Peck Law Group

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.