How To Treat Elderly Bedsores At Home

Portable Folding Bed with Mattress For Bedsores

Elderly patients who have mobility challenges, and particularly those who are bedridden, may experience bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers. Here we’ll take a look at what they are, their causes, and how to treat them.

DEFINITION OF ELDERLY BEDSORES

Bedsores, or pressure ulcers, are sores resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin. They most often form on the skin covering the tailbone, ankles, hips, and heels.

The elderly experience bedsores more often than any other demographic. They’re often confined to their Portable Folding Bed with Mattress for prolonged periods of time, causing bedsores to form. This is a problem that commonly occurs in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, when patients typically become unable to ambulate independently, or at all. As a matter of fact, anyone who spends a lot of time in one position is at risk for bed sores.

When caring for a loved one who is at risk of developing bedsores, it’s important for primary caregivers to know what causes bedsores and take steps to prevent them, as well as to recognize the signs and symptoms of bedsores so you can take immediate action and begin treatment.

Gel Cushion For Bedsores

CAUSES OF ELDERLY BEDSORES

To better understand bedsores, let’s look at their specific causes and risk factors.

Pressure. When prolonged, interrupted pressure is placed on the skin, it limits blood flow to that area. Without proper blood flow, the skin and nearby tissue are starved of nutrients, resulting in skin death. This most often occurs in areas that aren’t covered with as much muscle or fat.

When the skin rubs against a bed, a piece of furniture, or clothing, it can become more prone to injury. This is a more common cause in the elderly who have more fragile skin.

When two surfaces move in the opposite direction, shear occurs. If you were to pull your bottom across a seat to get to the edge, the tailbone would move across while the skin is pulled in the opposite direction. This is sheer, and it can cause bedsores.

SYMPTOMS OF ELDERLY BEDSORES

Bedsores can form quickly. After just a week of prolonged exposure, they can begin to pop up. If the area is left in contact with the bed, they can become more severe. They appear most often on bony areas of the body that aren’t protected by fat or muscle, including the tailbone, shoulder blades, and skin behind the knees.

Some other things to look out for:

Tender areas, as it could be a warning sign for a bedsore

Karma Airwave 3 Air Mattress For Bedsore

Changes in skin texture and color

Swollen skin

Areas that feel cooler or warmer to touch

COMPLICATIONS OF ELDERLY BEDSORES

If not treated, elderly bedsores can have some serious results.

If you don’t give your bedsores time to heal they could turn into a form of carcinoma.

In very rare cases, bedsores could lead to sepsis, a life-threatening complication.

A skin infection that causes redness and swelling of the area.

Bone and Joint Infection. Bedsores often become infected. When this happens, and if it’s not treated fast enough, it can spread to the joints and bones. Bone infections can reduce the function of joints, while joint infections can cause long-term damage to tissue and cartilage.

WAYS TO PREVENT AND TREAT ELDERLY BEDSORES

Prevention is the absolute best cure for bedsores. The truth is, they aren’t all that hard to keep away with the proper knowledge and a little bit of help. A combination of frequently repositioning yourself and taking care of your skin can go a long way.  Here are some tips to try:

Use a pressure-relieving mattress. There are mattresses designed to relieve pressure and prevent Gel Cushion For Bedsores from ever forming. Some even alternate pressure in the mattress automatically, so minimal effort is required on your part. These mattresses are well worth the investment.

Shift your weight. If your pressure sores are caused by wheelchair use, frequently shifting your weight can help. This also works with beds – just change the side you’re laying on if possible.

Lift yourself. If you’re able, lift yourself out of your wheelchair to relieve the pressure.

Protect your skin. It’s important to do everything in your power to protect your skin from friction and pressure. Ensure bedding is smoothed out and there are no objects between you and the mattress or seat. Keep your skin moisturized and consider using talcum powder to reduce friction.

Keep skin clean and dry. Regularly cleanse the skin and dry it afterward to reduce exposure to moisture and waste.

Of course, if your loved one is still able to ambulate, either with or without assistance, the best way to prevent elderly Karma Airwave 3 Air Mattress For Bedsore is to encourage them to remain as active as possible. Home modifications are often helpful if your loved one tends to stay in bed out of fear of tripping or falling. And if your loved one has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, keeping them engaged in stimulating activities is beneficial not just for cognitive health, but for physical well-being as well.

If you or your loved one already has pressure sores, it’s important to treat them while practicing the prevention tips above. Here’s how to do so:

Reduce the pressure. Find out what caused bedsore and remedy it by repositioning or using pressure-relieving surfaces.

Clean the dress the wound. If the skin is not broken, gently wash the skin. If it’s an open sore, it needs to be washed with a saline solution. Afterward, put on a bandage.

Remove damaged tissue. To heal, the skin needs to be free of dead or infected skin. This can be done by flushing the wound or cutting the dead tissue off. Get assistance from a professional at this point.

For more serious bedsores, surgery may be required. However, it’s only required in the most serious of cases. The above tips are usually effective treatment methods.

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Girl with cerebral palsy takes her first steps at age 4

            CP Child Walker

After a successful surgical procedure earlier this year, a 4-year-old Michigan girl with cerebral palsy took her first steps, and her proud mother recorded every “step” of the way.

little girl walks alone


Health reports that Maya Tisdale, also known on social media as “Mighty Miss Maya,” was captured on Instagram by her mother last Monday as she walked several steps while in her family home in Traverse City. The little girl, wearing pink support braces on her legs, smiled and laughed as she took her first steps.
“I’m walking! I’m walking!” Maya shouted as her mother recorded the monumental incident.

Walking for Maya is a great accomplishment, as physicians doubted she would ever be able to take any steps alone. Maya was born four months prematurely in 2013 and was welcomed into the world weighing only a pound.

When she turned one, Maya’s doctor diagnosed her with spastic cerebral palsy. The diagnosis made it almost impossible for the little girl to ever stand, much less walk without assistance.

She was “unable to stand on her own for more than a few seconds, or walk without the use of walker,” Maya’s family said on their site.

Maya, however, has always been independent and according to her mother, always wanted to do the things her older brothers did, especially walking on her own.

“We’re always trying to help her and she always says, ‘No, I can do it!'” Maya’s mom told ABC. “She doesn’t need or want help to do things. She’s going to try to do it herself.”

In May, the family made a trip to St. Louis, where Maya underwent Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, a surgical procedure that would “permanently reduce Maya’s spasticity, giving her the ability to live with less pain and greater mobility.”

“This surgery is the only option to permanently reduce Maya’s spasticity, giving her the ability to live with less pain and greater mobility,” the family said on Maya’s YouCaring page, set up to help raise funds for the little girl to undergo the procedure.

After surgery, Maya’s physician warned that it would long, hard sessions of physical therapy before Maya would be able to walk. Yet, within less than seven weeks after the surgical procedure, Maya proved that she was determined to walk.

“We expected where Maya was before surgery that it would take her at least six months to a year to get to independent steps and here we are seven weeks after. … She’s just kind of blowing it out of the water,” the proud mom told ABC.

Maya’s mother said that although her little girl is walking, she still lives with cerebral palsy and goes through the daily challenges that come along with having the disorder. The family plans to keep Maya in physical therapy for most days each week, in hopes that the little girl will become stronger and master the ability of walking independently even further.

Maya still has CP (cerebral palsy). She still has the damage in her brain and she still has some tightness in her legs.. … She’s going to continue with physical therapy five days a week, just like we’ve been doing, and get stronger and practice her skill of walking. But to just to have those first steps and knowing that it’s possible is so great for her and our family.”

To learn more about spastic CP, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options, refer to our article, Spastic Cerebral Palsy.

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Cerebral Palsy Causes Help your Child Manage The Associated Conditions

Cerebral palsy causes vary, depending on the type of disorder the child has. Knowing what may have caused your child’s cerebral palsy can help you understand the disorder better, as well as help your child manage the associated conditions.

                                                  Cerebral palsy Wheelchair

Congenital Cerebral Palsy

When a baby develops cerebral palsy either before or during birth, it’s known as congenital cerebral palsy. Congenital cerebral palsy remains the common type of the disorder and can develop due to a myriad of causes, including:

Maternal infections, such as rubella, chicken pox, urinary tract infections, and cytomegalovirus (CMV).

Carrying twins or multiples

The use of infertility treatments

Placenta problems

Uterine Ruptures

Incompatible Blood (can lead to Rh factor diseases)

Chorioamnionitis

Medical negligence and mistakes (See below for more information)

Low birth weight: Birth weight of five pounds and under may increase the chances of an infant developing cerebral palsy.

Infertility treatments: Women who undergo infertility treatments have a higher chance of having a premature baby with low birth rate, which can lead to cerebral palsy.

Jaundice: Jaundice can lead to kernicterus, a form of brain damage caused by too much bilirubin. In turn, the risk of the baby developing cerebral palsy heightens.

Acquired Cerebral Palsy

Acquired cerebral palsy is defined as the disorder developing at least 28 or more days after the baby is born. This form of cerebral palsy accounts for around 20% of all people who have the disorder.

The most common reason that acquired cerebral palsy occurs include:

Blood flow problems to the brain, which can cause blood clotting

Sickle cell diseases and other infections

Head injuries during birth, such as when a baby is dropped or has a severe accident that causes brain damage

                                                             CP WALKER

Brain Malformations

Brain malformations are defects that happen when the baby’s brain develops abnormally. Although it can occur at any time during fetal development, if it happens 20 weeks gestation or prior, the baby runs the highest risk of developing brain damage, cerebral palsy, and other medical conditions.

Jaundice

Jaundice is caused by bilirubin build up in the blood. Although some cases of jaundice will clear up on its own, it’s the excessive cases that need close monitoring and treatment. If jaundice is left untreated, a form of brain damage called kernicterus can occur, which can lead to the infant developing cerebral palsy.

Rh Incompatibility

Rh incompatibility is a medical condition marked by the mother’s blood and infant’s blood being incompatible. The mother’s blood produces a certain type of antibodies that destroy the infant’s blood cells during pregnancy. This, in turn, can lead to jaundice, which can lead to brain damage, which can cause cerebral palsy.

Maternal Infections

Maternal infections such as measles, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis, chickenpox, and certain other diseases, if not properly detected and treated, can lead to an infant developing cerebral palsy. Infections have the ability to cause brain damage (see below), which can cause cerebral palsy and other medical conditions.

Prolonged Labor

Prolonged labor is labor that lasts longer than 16 to 24 hours. When labor is considered prolonged depends on the individual, with new mothers expected to take longer to deliver than mothers who have given birth at least once before. There are many possible complications of prolonged labor, including cerebral palsy. It is associated with the use of instruments, like forceps, which can physically damage a baby’s head.

Prolonged labor is also associated with a number of complications that can cause brain damage by asphyxiation, or deprivation of oxygen. These include a breech birth position, a large baby, the baby getting stuck in the mother’s pelvis or in the birth canal, complications with the placenta or umbilical cord, and the failure of a doctor to perform a Cesarean section, which could prevent brain damage.

Brain Damage

Brain damage is one of the primary reasons that cerebral palsy occurs. It can happen before, during, or after birth.

Maternal high blood pressure and infections can lead to brain damage while the baby is still in utero. Abnormal brain development during pregnancy can also cause brain damage, which can occur due to maternal infections and high blood pressure. It’s extremely important to get prenatal care and routine medical monitoring while pregnant.

Hemorrhaging is another reason infant brain damage happens, and is more common in babies born prematurely. Hemorrhages result after a baby has improper blood flow to the brain or reduced oxygen to the brain. Unfortunately, bleeding inside the brain isn’t obviously visible and it isn’t until certain symptoms occur that a proper diagnosis can be made. In some instance, medical malpractice is the direct cause if infant hemorrhaging (see the following section for additional details on medical negligence).

Brain damage can also lead to a number of other medical conditions, including brachial plexus palsy, Erb’s palsy, cognitive problems, social and emotional issues, and hearing and vision problems.

Medical Negligence

Unfortunately, there are some cases of cerebral palsy that could have been prevented if not for medical mistakes and negligence. In addition to failing to find and diagnose medical problems early that may have prevented damages, physicians can also play a hand in causes brain damage during childbirth. Although these medical mistakes are never done on purpose, the end result is that sloppy medical care can lead to severe problems.

The most common types of medical mistakes that can lead to cerebral palsy include:

Failure to identify, schedule, and carry out an emergency C-section

Failure to monitor infant heartbeat

Failure to identify, diagnose, and treat umbilical cord issues and/or placental issues

Failure to detect and treat maternal infections

Improper use of forceps or a vacuum extraction tool during childbirth

Failure to get oxygen to an infant in time during childbirth

Failure to monitor oxygen levels

Surgery errors

Risk Factors That May Lead to Cerebral Palsy

The following risk factors heighten the risk of infants developing cerebral palsy:

Breech-position births (or other unusual positions)

A low APGAR score shortly after birth; APGAR tests the baby’s breathing, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone, and color

The infant weighing under 5 lbs. 7.5 oz. after birth

Microcephaly (small head when born)

Infant seizures (shortly after birth)

Proteinuria (excessive protein in the mother’s urine)

Maternal seizures

Maternal hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism

Keep in mind that not all infants exposed to these risk factors will develop cerebral palsy. Yet, it’s always important to be aware of factors that can contribute to the disorder. Physicians especially should be mindful of the conditions and monitor them carefully.

Tips to Help Prevent Cerebral Palsy

With so many things that can cause cerebral palsy, it seems overwhelming to most parents. However, there are numerous steps you can take while pregnant to give your baby the best chances of avoiding cerebral palsy.

-Keep all of your prenatal appointments. Routine medical care can pick up on issues that can be dealt with early on.

-Make sure your vaccinations are up to date, specifically chickenpox and rubella vaccinations.

-Blood type is important. Keep in mind that RH incompatibility can lead to medical issues that can cause cerebral palsy.

You can also start prevention prior to pregnancy by staying as healthy as possible. Make sure all your vaccinations are up to date, practice good hygiene by washing your hands thoroughly and make sure you know your blood type prior to getting pregnant. Your physician can treat RH incompatibilities if caught early on, which can help prevent jaundice and kernicterus.

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दिव्यांगों को बूथों पर मिलेगी व्हील चेयर की सुविधा

Senior Citizens Wheelchair

दिव्यांगों को  होने वाले चुनाव में ऐसा पहली बार होगा कि अत्यधिक दिव्यांग मतदाता वाले बूथों पर उनके लिए व्हील चेयर की व्यवस्था रहेगी। ऐसे सभी बूथों पर दो-दो व्हील चेयर रखे जाएंगे। इसके लिए जिलाधिकारी राजीव रौतेला ने जिला विकलांग कल्याण अधिकारी को बूथवार दिव्यांगों की सूची बनाने को कहा है। सूची के बाद जहां अधिक दिव्यांग मतदाता होंगे वहां व्हील चेयर की व्यवस्था होगी। 

किसी भी लोक सभा चुनाव में ऐसा पहली बार होगा। यह प्रयास स्थानीय स्तर पर होगा। इस सुविधा से दिव्यांगों या अत्यधिक बुजुर्गों को मतदान स्तल तक ले जाने में काफी सहूलियत होगी। जबकि इस सुविधा के न होने से इसके पूर्व चुनावों में ऐसे लोगों को मतदान कराने के लिए कंथे पर उठाकर बूथ तक ले जाना पड़ता था। 

जिलाधिकारी के निर्देश के बाद सभी सम्बंधित अधिकारियों ने इस सम्बंध में तैयारी शुरू कर दी है। 25 फरवरी तक ऐसे बूथों की सूची दे देनी है जहां व्हील चेयर की जरूरत है। सूची के हिसाब से ही बूथों पर व्हील चेयर की व्यवस्था की जाएगी। 

Buy Online at www.wheelchairindia.com

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Portable Travelling Height Adjustable Walking Stick with Folding Stool LED Torch for Senior Citizens

PRICE: 2999

Height Adjustable Walking Stick with Folding Chair LED Torch

Materials - Handgrip, Polypropylene Seat and Anodized Aluminium Alloy Framework

Five Slots elevation. Comfortable seat. Hanger String. Cozy and powerful hands grip. Lightweight. Superfine finish. Elegant Appearance Given 3 Distinct angles adjustable LED Torch, Emergency Red color blinker, Alarm Siren on Folding stool Dimensions - Overall- 2 4 Cm x6 Cm x 82 Cm-91 Cm Height. Seat - 24 x 20 Cm. Weight - 1.00 Kg.

PRICE: 2499

Height Adjustable Walking Stick with Folding Stool

Materials Used - Anodized Aluminium Alloy frame, Polypropylene Seat and Hand Grip
Weight Capacity - 120 Kilogram. On Folding stool
Five championships adjustable elevation. Cozy chair. Hanger String. Cozy and powerful hands traction. Light-weight. Superfine finish. Elegant appearance
Dimensions - Overall- 2-4 Cm x6 Cm x 82 Cm-91 Cm Height.
Seat - 24 x 20 Cm. Weight - 1.00 Kg.

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Best Wheelchairs for Handicapped, Senior Citizens, Seniority

Wheelchairs are chairs with wheels, used when walking can be difficult or impossible because of sickness, trauma, or handicap. Wheelchair Variety comes to meet the needs of their users. They may include technical seating adaptions, individualized controllers, and might be specific to particular actions, as seen with beach wheelchairs and sports wheelchairs. The most frequently recognized distinction is between powered wheelchairs ("powerchairs"), where propulsion is supplied by batteries and electric motors, and manually propelled wheelchairs, where the propulsive force is provided by the wheelchair user/occupant pushing the wheelchair by hand ("self-propelled"), or by an effluent pushing from the back ("attendant propelled").

Wheelchairs Variety out of us

A self-propelled manual wheelchair incorporates a frame, seat, a couple of footplates (footrests) and four wheels: typically two caster wheels in the front and two big wheels in the back. There will also be a seat cushion. The wheels usually have push-rims of slightly smaller diameter projecting beyond the Tyre; these allow the consumer to maneuver the seat by pushing on them without requiring them to grip the tires. Guide wheelchairs generally have wheels that bear on the tires of their rear wheels these are only a parking brake and in-motion braking is supplied by the user's palms bearing onto the push-rims.

Manual attendant-propelled wheelchairs

An attendant-propelled wheelchair is similar to a wheelchair, but with small diameter wheels in rear and front. The chair controlled and is maneuvered by a person standing at the trunk and pushing on grips incorporated into the frame. Braking is provided by the attendant who will usually also be given with a foot- mounted or hand-operated parking brake.

These chairs are as loaner-chairs and common in settings in large public venues. They are constructed from steel when the consumer isn't needed to self-propel as the lightweight is less of an issue.

Transport chairs are required features at airports in much of the world that was developed so as to permit entry down airliner aisles that were narrow and ease the transport of wheelchair-using passengers to and from their seats.

Powered wheelchairs

For users who cannot handle a manual joystick, sip-and-puff controls, joysticks that are chin-operated, head switches or expert controls can allow independent operation of the wheelchair. Ranges of over 10 miles/15 km are usually available from batteries. Powerchairs tend to be divided by their accessibility capabilities. An indoor-chair may reliably be able to cross surfaces that are flat, limiting them to household use. A seat is less limited but might have limited range or capacity to take care of uneven surfaces or slopes. An outdoor seat is more competent but will have an extremely limited ability to deal with rough terrain. A true cross-country capability is offered by A expert designs.

Powerchairs have access including ones which are hard to supply in a chair that is manual but have the disadvantage of significant weight. The largest may weigh 200 kg or more In which a seat may weigh under 10 pound.

Big designs have six wheels, with small wheels at the front and rear and marginally larger powered wheels at the middle, although smaller power chairs frequently have four wheels, front or rear wheel drive.

Tilt-in-space or reclining wheelchairs have seating surfaces which can be tilted to various angles. The concept was created by an orthotist, Hugh Barclay, who worked with children and observed that by allowing the wheelchair user to unwind in a tilted position, postural deformities like scoliosis could be supported or partly corrected. The attribute is also to users that are not able to sit. Numerous designs are available and wheelchairs using the attribute may tilt the leg and seat-back rests in regard or may tilt the back, seat and leg rest as one, based upon the need of the user.

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How to control a power wheelchair

Power wheelchairs can be a great way for people with limited mobility to get around.  The standard way to control a power wheelchair is via a joystick typically mounted on either side of the wheelchair.

However, if you have a limited range of motion or strength, then using the standard joystick may be difficult. There are a growing number of alternative options that are becoming available.  These include light touch mini joysticks, switches, touchpads and sip, and puff controls.

Mini Joystick

Mini Joystick is usually much smaller than the standard wheelchair joystick.  They required less force to deflect or operate the joystick, which may be a low as 18g of pressure.  Like a standard wheelchair joystick most of them are proportional, so the more they are deflected the faster the chair will move.  However, some joysticks are controlled by the pressure applied and do not deflect. To keep the joystick compact, buttons for the power, lights, and actuators are not part of the joystick housing, as these controls are operated by alternative methods.  Mini joysticks may activate a mode change on pushing directly down on the joystick from a neutral position.

Touchpads

Touchpads feel similar to what you may find on a computer for controlling its mouse cursor.  They are based on touch and no pressure is required.  Touchpads can be configured for the user so that touching a specific part of the touchpad relative to the center will move in that direction.  Alternatively, it can be operated by dragging a finger along the touchpad in the desired direction. 

Switches

Switches by their nature do not have proportional control.  So activating a switch will move in a particular direction and releasing the switch will stop.  However as a power wheelchair’s acceleration and deceleration characteristics can be set up to be gradual, driving can still be smooth.  Switches can be mechanical momentary switches or based on proximity where no physical contact is required.  Multiple switches can be used, one for each direction, three switches as in a head array or a single switch that is used with some scanning display.

Sip and Puff Controls

These are operated by sucking and blowing on a mouthpiece.  Sip and puff pressures are programmable and will also have a mode change feature in order to operate other chair controls such as lights or actuators.  They require quite a bit of practice by the user to get good at driving.  Not only does the wheelchair electronics distinguish between a sip and a puff, but it can also recognize the strength of the sip and puff.  Basic Sip and Puff pressure is an interpretation as… HARD PUFF – Forward, SOFT PUFF – Right, SOFT SIP – Left and HARD SIP – Reverse.

In some cases, it may be necessary to also connect an emergency stop switch.  The stop switch needs to be mounted in a position for easy activation by the user.

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