Falls, Wounds, and Fractures
Thin, fragile skin can easily tear by brushing against even the softest surfaces, bedsores can cause breakdown, and peripheral edema can cause the skin to ulcerate. These wounds can all be slow to heal and a tremendous challenge to treat. Balance issues and not using walkers and canes when needed can lead to unnecessary falls and fractures.
Injuries can be prevented or avoided with a little extra care and attention to detail. A conscious effort to protect skin and prevent tears and other injury means making slow, careful movements. Preventing falls and injuries such as fractures requires compliance with safety practices such as turning lights on, using assistive devices, and removing throw rugs and other safety offenses such as clutter.
Skin tears, bedsores, and ulcerations require cleansing and various forms of bandaging several times each week to daily. Sometimes the dressings themselves can cause more damage to fragile skin; tape can remove skin if not removed carefully and dressings that have dried can become stuck to wounds and damage new healthy tissue as they are removed. An ounce of prevention truly can go a long way in maintaining quality of life and preventing other complications such as infection. Ulcerations can be much harder to prevent because they result from poor circulation and edema, which may be very difficult to manage, especially in this typically more sedentary population.
Fractures and other injuries can require surgical interventions that put older persons at risk. Casts and postoperative precautions can lead to decreased mobility and other complications including blood clots, pneumonia, infection, constipation, and bedsores.
