What does a caregiver need to know about skin care and pressure ulcers?

Stage: - reduce or eliminate underlying contributing factors by providing pressure relief with proper positioning and support surfaces. - provide appropriate local wound care, which may include debridement for patients with necrotic tissue, based on the ulcer's characteristics. - consider adjunctive therapies, such as negative pressure wound therapy - monitor and document the patient's progress.

Skin care: The caregiver for an at risk patient needs to pay attention to two important things: trying to keep pressure off of the areas of skin with bony prominences and maintaining the integrity of the skin by protective lotions and by keeping moisture off of the skin, especially in the private areas. This will require in most cases a little education by a wound specialist or a home health nurse.