Pressure sore prevention

You should also have training and equipment to help with moving the patient regularly . My dad and I both received very useful training in moving my mum.

You need a pressure relieving mattress. Your GP surgery should be able to help or the community nurses or the local red cross. Prevention is the aim. Make as many phone calls as you need to get some help or buy or rent one yourself if you can afford it. The mattress is attached to a small motor which blows air into alternating areas to relieve pressure. Then if he cannot move himself changing his position at least 2 hourly.

luckygirl indeed you do need an assessment by the DN. Pressure sore prevention is a very technical thing these days and sheepskins, ripple mattresses and sorbo rings have long been discarded in favour of gel cushions and mattresses of all kinds to which he is entitled. Nutritional support, hydration and movement are all key to prevention as well. In this area and many others you can refer yourself (or someone you are caring for) directly to the District Nursing service and/ or as you say do this through the GP surgery. I do hope you get some help soon.

Paw has an inflatable ridged mattress (like a Li-Lo) from the Re-enablement team to put over the bed. It is only a single so he has it slightly to the side of the middle (I have long since been in the spare room next door!) I just pop a single fitted sheet over it, but you could put it under the fitted sheet, there are tapes top and bottom tomhold it in place and I am told it will need reinflating once a week.
There are also sort of memory foam type cups (?) which he had in hospital,on his heels and elbows but opinion was divided as to whether he should use them with the electric inflatable mattress he had there.

She also had an air/gel filled mattress on loan from a charity (the kind they have in hospitals that inflate and deflate) . Do you have a local charity that loans equipment?

Suggest ask for a district nurse visit for their help and advice. They may get you a ripple mattress or a special bed for him. Hope you get some help.

My mum used a sheepskin Luckygirl and applied Sudocrem which really seemed to help.

Thanks for that Anya.

That must be do hard on both of you Lucky - sorry no advice, though I'm sure there will be from others.