Those Devil Bedsores!

 

As our loved ones with Dementia and Alzheimer's progress, new challenges come along for caregivers.

Here's one we don't like to see or talk about.

BEDSORES

Awful, yucky things. Devilish things.

When a person doesn't move around much, those abdominal fiends can materialize.

It's imperative to move your loved one around often. Get them up from the chair, or turn them in the bed. Those dreaded hellions often appear on a tailbone after sitting too long in a chair or lying too long in a bed.  

stiff articles of clothing might become a problem, and even soft sheets can cause skin conditions if a person is too dormant.

I watched a husband across the hall from Shelley, my daughter, as he sat with his dying wife. Every fifteen minutes, he asked personnel to turn his wife. She had merely a day or two to live, but he wanted her as comfortable as possible. Those sores add discomfort to the person who has them. 

They also disturb and cause pain to the person who sees them on a beloved. Sores on a loved one provide another reason to cry.

I sometimes think we caregivers hurt as much or more than the person we love who has the disease. Their minds are too far gone to realize the extent of pain and discomfort, but we see and know.

Personnel in facilities aren't always efficient, so we help them inspect skin. If an an area becomes red and is warm when you touch it, a wound may be on the way. 

A bedsore is harder to take care of when the skin erupts. Remove pressure or clothing from the area. Clean and protect the area with soft fabric. Ask the doctor about a medicated lotion for the area of concern.

Do what you can to send those red devils back to he##!!!

Bedsores