My first rant....

Lills

DH had a routine hospice RN visit today.  He has pressure sores and it seems whatever I do isn't working.  Ok, here's the rant:  We can design bridges, go to the moon, design apps that can do incredible things, warships that can hit targets thousands of miles away, etc.  Why then, CAN'T WE DESIGN A BED THAT CAN OPEN WHEREVER THE SORE IS to let the sore heal with air?  Come on, engineers!  Think Jetsons. DH has an air mattress, Mepilex pads, propping pillows...still, there are worsening sores.  I know the progression of these sores.  As they deepen, they get infected...then (more) pain medication, then less eating and drinking.  Then...

I feel like we are in the dark ages when it comes to dementia care.  Ok, I'm done with my rant.  Thanks for listening. 

Ed1937

Lills, I'm sorry your DH has pressure sores. It seems as though it wouldn't be so hard to design some type of a support that could open in strategic places to encourage healing. You're right. With all the other things we've been able to do, we should be able to do that.

Quilting brings calm

Almost like the donut holes they used to give to hemorrhoid sufferers to sit on?

Battlebuddy

They make that mattress. It’s sold on Amazon . Four thousand dollars.

David J

45+ years ago, I worked for the VA at a Spinal Cord Injury hospital. Bed sores were a constantly repeating problem. Special beds were used for the worst cases. There were several silica dust (fine sand) air beds. The “mattress” was filled with silica, and air was pumped up through the sand from below, making the whole thing very fluid. The top of the mattress was a very fine mesh that allowed air through, but not the sand (in theory).  Normal sheets and blankets went on top. It wad very comfortable with no pressure points, but sorta like a day at the beach.  Had to shake the sand out of my clothes.

The other mattress I recall was a “mud bed”.  Think water bed, but with mud in it.  Theory here was that the mattress would form to the patient’s body and provide equal pressure everywhere.  No sloshing either.

I owned several waterbeds over the years, and I really liked the even support it gave me.  I have circulation issues in my legs, and the elimination of pressure points was extremely beneficial.