Mobility Issues

By Margaret Heale, RN, MSc, CWOCN Not very long ago, when working in an in-patient rehab center, I was shocked to discover patients calling the adult incontinence garments "hospital underwear." We were making good inroads into reducing the use of these products with the hope that if we used less it would be possible to acquire higher-quality products that would function optimally for patients who really needed them. It was of concern that some facilities had become diaper-free because many of our patients benefited from briefs, particularly as a "just in case security blanket" and we felt it was unrealistic for our patient population to be brief-free.

By Terri Kolenich, RN, CWCA, AAPWCA We all have hobbies outside of what we do for a living. At least, we all should have hobbies or interests outside of our careers. Our hobbies are our outlet for stress. I love to draw. I also enjoy painting. What I love most of all is acting and theater. I love being on stage, performing, and getting an emotional response from my audience. Everyone that knows me well knows how much I love acting on stage. Bringing a script to life exhilarates me. Just the thought of performing live, delivering memorized lines, and anticipating the reaction of my fellow actors stirs and motivates me. Most of all I crave the opportunity to use my improvising skills when a scene goes an unexpected direction.

by Hy-Tape International Maintaining an active lifestyle is critical to good health; this is especially true for patients recovering from wounds or extended hospital stays. Robust activity can improve mental health, reduce the risk of infection, and accelerate wound healing.1 Staying active can be challenging for patients with wounds, however, and it is critical that health care professionals take steps to enable their patients to stay as active as possible.

By the WoundSource Editors The prevalence of pressure injuries among certain high-risk patient populations has made pressure injury risk assessment a standard of care. When utilized on a regular basis, standardized assessment tools, along with consistent documentation, increase accuracy of pressure injury risk assessment, subsequently improving patient outcomes. Conversely, inconsistent and non-standardized assessment and poor documentation can contribute to negative patient outcomes, denial of reimbursement, and possibly wound-related litigation.

em>By Rob Striks, Special Writer Encompass HealthCare and Wound Medicine One of the most heartbreaking scenes in Forrest Gump is when Lieutenant Dan is coming to grips with the loss of his legs. Robbed of his perceived destiny of dying proudly in battle like his ancestors, and with the weight of his world collapsing down on him, an exhausted Lt. Dan Taylor sighs, "What am I going to do now?"

By Holly Hovan MSN, APRN, CWOCN-AP The Braden Scale for Predicting Pressure Sore Risk® category of activity focuses on how much (or how little) the resident can move independently. A resident can score from 1 to 4 in this category, 1 being bedfast and 4 being no real limitations. It is important to keep in mind that residents who are chairfast or bedfast are almost always at risk for skin breakdown

By Holly Hovan, MSN, RN-BC, APRN-CNS, CWOCN-AP What is mobility? Typically, when we hear the word mobility, we think about our ability to move, with or without assistance. In a long-term care setting, we often hear the words, "mobility aids," which are typically pieces of medical equipment that are used to enhance mobility—wheelchairs, walkers, canes, power wheelchairs, crutches, and even guide dogs for those who are sight impaired. There are many intrinsic and extrinsic factors that impact one's mobility, which will be discussed in this blog.

by Karen Bauer , NP-C, CWS In my recent WoundSource webinar on management strategies of venous leg ulcers (VLU), I discussed the complex pathophysiology of VLUs and procedural interventions that can help them reach closure.

By Ivy Razmus, RN, PhD, CWOCN People in wheelchairs are limited in their mobility, sensory perception, and activity. These limitations can lead to increased temperature and moisture on the areas that are in contact with the wheelchair surface. These risk factors place wheelchair users at a higher risk for pressure injuries. A pressure injury is localized damage to the skin and underlying soft tissue, usually over a bony prominence or related to a medical or other device. Pressure from medical devices against the skin may also cause pressure injury. Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and its associated comorbidities are among the highest-risk population for developing pressure injuries. The incidence of pressure ulcers in patients with SCI is 25%–66%.