I'm a CNA providing 9pm to 7am respite care for a 50yr old female diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. She wears a bi-pap 24-7 and weighs perhaps 70 pounds. She does have care 24-7 from various health organizations, and from her mother and sister. She can only move her neck from side to side on a pillow - there's no strength to hold it up at all. All other muscles have atrophied (sp).
My questions relate to pressure sores developing due to her low weight. She is in a hospital bed with a foam pad on the mattress. It's not an egg crate foam. Her sacrum in very sore. We are putting patches on it - not duoderms; I can't think of the name right now. We also use a material similar to sheepskin to add padding.
Her right shoulder blade is also a sore spot. Due to her low weight, her shoulder blades are on the bed, but her actual shoulders are perhaps 2, maybe 3, inches off the bed. We have material similar to sheepskin which we pad there to make up the difference.
Neither area is open, and I hope to prevent that from happening. She does ask to be on her left side, then her right side and to her back throughout the night. I use a wedge and knee pillow to help position her. She does not sleep very well.
Her neck is very tight and sore. We use a Bed Buddy moist heat rice pack to give her comfort.
I believe she is near the end; perhaps the summer months. She takes nothing for pain. She does take ativan for her anxiety, which can be quite high sometimes. She's also suffering with heat flashes; just what she doesn't need. They feed the anxiety. Her speech is becoming quite weak.
Is there anything I've typed here that gives you thought to offer any suggestions? Any comments, suggestions, thoughts would be deeply appreciated. I intend to stay with her to the end.
My questions relate to pressure sores developing due to her low weight. She is in a hospital bed with a foam pad on the mattress. It's not an egg crate foam. Her sacrum in very sore. We are putting patches on it - not duoderms; I can't think of the name right now. We also use a material similar to sheepskin to add padding.
Her right shoulder blade is also a sore spot. Due to her low weight, her shoulder blades are on the bed, but her actual shoulders are perhaps 2, maybe 3, inches off the bed. We have material similar to sheepskin which we pad there to make up the difference.
Neither area is open, and I hope to prevent that from happening. She does ask to be on her left side, then her right side and to her back throughout the night. I use a wedge and knee pillow to help position her. She does not sleep very well.
Her neck is very tight and sore. We use a Bed Buddy moist heat rice pack to give her comfort.
I believe she is near the end; perhaps the summer months. She takes nothing for pain. She does take ativan for her anxiety, which can be quite high sometimes. She's also suffering with heat flashes; just what she doesn't need. They feed the anxiety. Her speech is becoming quite weak.
Is there anything I've typed here that gives you thought to offer any suggestions? Any comments, suggestions, thoughts would be deeply appreciated. I intend to stay with her to the end.
