Practical concerns

As Burt retreated into his bed, his OT raised concerns over pressure sores.

She was not being alarmist, I only wish she was.

The skin is our largest organ, and it is susceptible to wounds and tears.

Burt has developed several areas that need lots of special attention.

We use a number of ointments and creams to attend to his sores.  They are mostly small, so they do require extra attention not to be overlooked.

Technically, he should be turned every two hours. He no longer understands the request that he turn and is a solid and resistant mass. I can’t turn him. I can assist his aides in getting him rolled onto his side.

As a practical matter, we got a sling to help with turning; it fits under the chux, covering the bed all the way across; the handles all around allow for picking up and moving the patient. It’s a possible act when the aide and I pull from opposite sides but still hard.

My next purchase will be a clever three-pronged pillow that fits in between the legs and allows a roll to the side. One such device is called “SexySamba” on Amazon.

It looks like it might facilitate the turn.

We hope we’ll be able to safely and easily get him up and out of bed more.

The more he moves, the sooner he’ll feel safe walking. He’s got to rebuild his calf muscles and add strength to his calves. The upper body seems very powerful by contrast.

It all seems to point to more time out of bed and with his Physical Therapist.