14 November 2017
The following is a brief guide to the different types of cushion that are available to people who have restricted mobility and might be at risk of developing pressure ulcers. However, please note that every individual's needs are different. Customers should base their purchasing decisions on the user's particular needs and preferences and upon advice from medical and care professionals.
People who spend long periods in the same position - for example, those who suffer from immobility or who use the same wheelchair for much of the day - may be at risk of developing pressure ulcers. These are painful injuries that result from prolonged pressure on soft tissue, most commonly over an area of bone such as a heel, hip or shoulder. The problem is often made worse by shear forces and friction - essentially, skin rubbing repeatedly against clothes or bed linen - and sometimes by the presence of moisture - e.g. perspiration. Besides being very painful, pressure ulcers pose a serious health problem because they can lead to potentially dangerous infections and because blood-flow to the affected area can be reduced, which means that injuries can sometimes be slow to heal and difficult to treat.
Due to the serious nature of the problem, anyone who is thought to be at risk of developing pressure ulcers should always seek immediate medical attention. Once this vital first step has been taken, the carer can then act on the resulting advice and consider some of the purpose-designed cushions that help to prevent or alleviate the problem.
For well over a century, medical and care professionals have recognised that an important way to help prevent pressure ulcers is to move the individual regularly and ensure that the same parts of the body are not constantly exposed to pressure. More even weight distribution can also play an important part in this process and, to this end, manufacturers have produced a range of seat cushions and pressure mattresses that spread the load well whilst also allowing good air-flow to help prevent the accumulation of moisture.
For any given patient, medical professionals will generally determine what the risks are of sustaining a pressure ulcer - typically low, moderate, high or very high. Manufacturers will normally state for what risk category their products are suitable and it is obviously vital that whatever product is chosen provides the necessary degree of protection.
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