Specialized mattresses in preventing pressure sores in elderly Assignment Sample

Specialized mattresses in preventing pressure sores in elderly

Motivation for change

Pressure sores are an issue, especially among the elderly patients. The study aims to analyze the efficiency in pressure sore prevention of the new interface pressure-decreasing mattress. Pressure injuries are the major concern for the patients undergoing procedures because of prolonged immobility as well as the complexity of care (Lartigau et al, 2023). Air mattresses as well as alternative air pressure mattresses prevent the pressure ulcers in the nursing home residents. Air mattresses are the major forerunners in the patient care to prevent the pressure sores. Alternating pressure air surfaces might reduce the pressure ulcer risk and is the more cost-efficient in preventing the sores.

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Gathering Supporting Information

According to Sikka and Garg (2020) pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin as well as underlying tissues which are linked with a negative influence on the health of the patients. However, healthcare professionals need to be aware that these injuries are preventable with the different strategies like the use of pressure-relieving support surfaces, risk assessment, skincare, systematic patient repositioning as well as the nutrition care. This has been analyzed that pressure-relieving support surface is used to prevent the attributed risk, general health, patient comfort as well as availability of the materials. The variation of the specialized support surface is accessible in the nursing homes, hospitals as well as community care. Nevertheless, Serraes et al, (2020) said that besides the efficiency of the support surfaces, there are also other factors which need to be considered while using the same. This includes practical use, legal needs as well as patient safety. This is a legal need for all the manufactured medical devices to be sustained by the complete technical file.

Horup et al, (2020) mentioned in the study that pressure area care includes the strategic redistribution of stress to alleviate which exerted on the patient’s skin. When the patient is restrained to bed and has limited mobility pressure care becomes significant for the prevention of sores. The care can manifest a range of forms such as care cushions, advanced pressure relieving mattresses as well as other various innovative tools. Proactive measures must be taken in advance to efficiently dissuade the realization of these painful sores in the first place. Pressure relief bedding plays a significant role in safeguarding the areas of the body which are especially susceptible to the pressure sores.

According to NICE guidelines, the quality standards cover assessing, preventing as well as managing the bed sores in the elderly people. This includes a risk assessment to prevent the pressure sores. This applies in all settings such as care homes, hospitals as well as at the patient’s home. The use of high-specification foam mattresses for all people who have being at the high risk of developing the stress ulcers is a part of the individualized care plan.

According to the government data residents aged 64 years are more likely to have pressure sores. Further, 35% of the nursing home residents with pressure ulcers have received the special wound care services in the year of 2004 (Pressure Ulcers among Nursing Home Residents, 2024). Pressure sores are the serious medical conditions which have putted pressure on the quality of clinical care within the nursing homes. In addition to this, nursing home residents with high immobility have a greater occurrence of pressure ulcers. The ageing of the global population is a very significant medical as well as social demographic issue globally. The EHO has defined the healthy ageing as the procedure of maintaining the functional ability that facilitates the health and well-being of old age people. However, Mamom and Daovisan (2022) said that continuous technological advancement in the support surfaces such as pressure-relieving mattresses as well as cushions plays a significant role in the market dynamics. This emphasizes on enhancing the patient's comfort as well as reducing the risk of pressure sores development. Healthcare providers are majorly focusing on elderly patients' safety as well as the overall quality of care which demands for the efficient pressure sores that prevents solutions. This dynamic drives the implementation of advanced technologies as well as evidence-based practice.

Pressure sores-related treatments costs contribute to the healthcare cost containment programs. The preventive measures such as the use of specialized protocols and devices become vital in reducing the economic stress related to the sores of pressure care. Stringent regulatory standards and guidelines regarding the patient care influence the pressure sores prevention market. Adherence to these regulations prompts the healthcare facilities to invest in the prevention strategies as well as shaping the market dynamics. By distributing the body weight evenly, pressure care mattresses reduce the pressure on vulnerable areas which allows the blood flow to continue (Kinoro, 2023). The enhanced blood circulation assists in delivering oxygen as well as nutrients to the tissues which prevent tissue breakdown. The care mattress also reduces the shear and friction force which contribute to the skin damage. Care mattresses also provide care for people with the limited mobility and chronic pain conditions. The cushion effect of mattresses reduces the discomfort related to protracted bed care. Healthcare professionals have recognized the significance of pressure care in preventing the complications as well as ensuring the well-being of the patients.

Addressing research gaps

Despite of the various robust evidences, the risks and benefits of the most types of mattresses and needs for treating pressure sores are unclear. The research does not emphasize on options and effects that are significant for decision makers like air filled that redistribute pressure and unwanted effects. The results reveal the long-term times, inefficient capacity coordination as well as ineffective patient procedure transfer as a major barriers at hospitals. There is also a need to study the critical role of efficient hospital administration in shaping the patient’s outcomes within the healthcare ecosystem (Gazineo et al, 2020). These analyses also fail to capture the resources needed to implement the intervention and also might underestimate the actual economic expenses for the intervention. There is a need to conduct more research on regular cleaning and maintenance of pressure care mattresses which is significant in ensuring the longevity as well as effectiveness. Better cleaning practices assist in building the allergens, dirt as well as materials which maintain the hygienic sleep environment.

The further research needs to emphasize on educating patients as well as caregivers about the efficient use of pressure care mattresses which is vital in accomplishing the desired results. Regular repositioning as well as proper positioning is also significant in enhancing the advantages of these mattresses. By incorporating the pressure care mattresses in the home care and healthcare facilities, risk can be lessen among elderly people in relation to developing the bedsores which boosts the major improvement in the quality of life.

Research Question

The PICO framework is a tool which assists the researcher in defining the key elements of the research question and identifying the specific keywords for the literature search.

P (Patient): Ageing patients in the aged care settings

I (Intervention): pressure relieving mattresses

C (Comparison): Customary hospital mattresses

O (Outcome): Lessening of pressure sores

Does standard hospital mattresses must be replaced with the pressure-relieving mattresses to reduce the pressure sores among the elderly patients within the aged care setting?

Proposed Data Collection Method

The mixed method research design is a strategy for gathering as well as analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. This allows researcher with flexibility and also contributes in offering the differing results. By incorporating the data from both quantitative and qualitative sources the researcher will gain valuable insights on specialized mattresses in preventing pressure sores in elderly care. Qualitative data will be gathered using interviews with the 10 healthcare providers to gain details about the contextualized information on the patient satisfaction. However, quantitative data will be gathered using a survey of around 30 elderly patients to analyze the significance of care pressure mattresses in preventing pressure sores in the rural areas.

Mixed methods offer multiple perspectives to enhance as well as enrich the meaning of the research. This will help in understanding the holistic approach with interviews to the prevalence of traits in the populations (Ferreira et al, 2021). The survey will add an in-depth of the study. This will explore the relationship among the nursing care practices as well as patient satisfaction. The mixed method will help to assess the effects of overlays, beds and mattresses on reducing the incidence of the pressure sores. Qualitative research will identify the gaps in care by analyzing the patients' experience as well as uncovering the barriers in the patient care. Surveys are the source of primary data which combines the medical data with the data collected directly from the patients.

Ethical Considerations

Informed consent is very significant in the clinical research. This includes informing each patient regarding the details of the study as well as any potential benefits and risks. This is an ethical and legal need for the research involving the human participation. Study participants have the right to withdraw their consent from the research at any time during the data collection procedure. To maintain the confidentiality, the researcher will use the access control, encryption as well as other means to prevent the sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. Data anonymization will allow researchers to protect the private information of the patient with encryption.

References

Books and Journals

• Ferreira, R., Goes, M.M., Oliveira, H., Vieira, J.V., & Santos, M. (2021), November. The position therapy in elderly people at risk of developing pressure injuries. In International Workshop on Gerontechnology (pp. 245-256). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Gazineo, D., Chiarabelli, M., Cirone, R., Chiari, P., & Ambrosi, E. (2020). Effectiveness of multilayered polyurethane foam dressings to prevent hospital-acquired sacral pressure injuries in patients with hip fracture: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Wound Ostomy & Continence Nursing, 47(6), pp.582-587.
• Horup, M.B., Soegaard, K., Kjølhede, T., Fremmelevholm, A., & Kidholm, K. (2020). Static overlays for pressure ulcer prevention: a hospital-based health technology assessment. British Journal of Nursing, 29(12), pp.S24-S28.
• Kinoro, H. (2023). Prevention of Pressure Ulcers Among the Elderly: Systematic Literature Review.
• Lartigau, M., Barateau, M., Rosé, M., Petricã, N., & Salles, N. (2023). Pressure ulcer prevention devices in the management of older patients at risk after hospital discharge: an SNDS study. Journal of Wound Care, 32(Sup9a), pp.clxxi-clxxx.
• Mamom, J., & Daovisan, H. (2022). Repositioning mattress: How a lateral tilt position reshapes the prevention of pressure ulcers in bedridden patients. Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology, 46(8), pp.658-669.
• Serraes, B., Hecke, A.V., Van Tiggelen, H., Anrys, C., Verhaeghe, S., & Beeckman, D. (2020). An exploration of nursing home residents' experiences of a non‐powered static air mattress overlay to prevent pressure ulcers. International Wound Journal, 17(5), pp.1166-1182.
• Sikka, M.P., & Garg, S. (2020). Functional textiles for prevention of pressure ulcers–a review. Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, 24(3), pp.185-198.

Author Bio

Saul Carter   4 years | Masters

Hi! I am Saul and I have done a master's in Medical Science from Edinburgh University. I have also published 100+ research papers that have received great recognition in academics. I assure you that I will write your assignment, dissertation or thesis with the same professionalism. I am aware of the high standards of UK universities and I craft assignments accordingly.