Is incontinence associated dermatitis and a bedsore the same thing?
Hi everyone.
The RN at my dad's nursing home told me they have been treating his Incontinence Associated Dermatitis but it was not getting better so they are going to call a wound care nurse to look at it. Then the Nursing Manager tells me that he has a bedsore that they are going to start treating by keeping him in bed and turning him and changing him every two hours. This is the first I heard that he has this!
Are Incontinence Associated Dermatitis and a Bedsore the same thing? Both nurses called it something different. Is this bad? My dad is 92 and hardly eats anymore and goes from the bed to the wheelchair and back again. He is at end stage now but once in a while he will seem to perk up. Now I know why he keeps fidgeting around in his wheelchair.
Thank you.
A bedsore is also known as a pressure sore and comes from laying in one position continually. If these aren’t treated, they can become infected and that’s very serious.
It it sounds like the staff at your father’s facility are on top of his treatment.
The "incontinence dermatitis" is a "diaper rash"
A "pressure sore" or "bedsore" is caused by the particular area not getting proper circulation.
A pressure sore can be anywhere on the body that there is pressure. Heels, calf, buttocks area, shoulders. Caught early they are pretty easy to stop and to heal. But you have to be very vigilant about position changes, removing the pressure from the area. Left for too long they can be very difficult to heal.
A pressure sore can seem to pop up in a matter of hours.
Side note I find it odd that NOW they are going to change him every 2 hours. That was standard in our house, I instructed the caregivers I hired as well, My Husband was changed every 2 hours, or at least he was checked, if he was dry his position was changed by at least getting him up then in another hour they were to check him again. Usually the change of position seemed to allow the kidneys to function better and he was usually VERY wet within an hour.
My mother often complained to me about "itchiness" in the génital area and on her buttocks. I made it a point to watch the changing procudure every time I was at the nursing home (almost daily). I learned a lot about the CNAs' process. After a lot of discomfort and suffering, I learned that the cleanser that was being used was actually the cause of the itching and blistering. I started purchasing a mild cleanser for the CNAs to use. Her condition improved substantially. I don't remember the name of it right now but I bought it from an on-line supplier. They delivered it directly to my home and I brought it to the nursing home as needed.
Also, do NOT believe the nursing home when they say they will change your parent every two hours.....They just don't do it .....and they don't keep any written records to supervise the CNAs....I had my mother in 3 different nursing homes....The last one was the best but they still needed supervision from me. Some CNAs are better than others and some are just unacceptable. It is shameful.
My mother was not ambulatory. So she too went from bed to wheelchair. She wore adult diapers 24/7. Sometimes, they kept her in bed with the diaper very loosely wrapped to give her skin a chance to "breathe". Please be observant. If bed sores develop, they can be extremely painful. The skin can appear to be "torn". All of it is preventable if the proper care is given......
My final advice......be alert. Keep good notes and bring your concerns to the attention of the nurses, supervisors, and administrators. Be the best advocate that you can be for your parent. I am not a CNA. I always told the administrators that I expected them to do a better job than I could do because THEY are the professionals. Having a parent in a nursing facility is difficult and it is a full-time job. Nothing is more painful than watching an elderly person suffer when it is just not necessary.
of course i dont know how good all that was since they didnt stay that long.