According to the National Nursing Home Survey, 2004, 11% of the U.S. nursing home residents had pressure ulcers. Stage 2 was the most common. Pressure ulcers are staged into 4 categories with stage 4 being the most serious.
A stage 2 pressure ulcer is a loss of partial thickness of the skin appearing as an abrasion, blister or shallow crater. Other findings of the survey were that residents aged 64 and under were more likely to have ulcers as well as residents in homes for a year or less.
One in five residents with recent weight loss had pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers are serious, and are one measure of the quality of care in nursing homes. When choosing a nursing home for your loved ones, inquire about the rate of pressure ulcers and whether there is a qualified skin care specialist on staff. When visiting loved ones ask the staff what they are doing to prevent pressure ulcer and remind them they will not be tolerated.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
