What Are The Risk Factors?

Residents who are unable to independently change position are at increased risk of developing a bedsore (pressure sore/ulcer), due to pressure exerted over bony prominences which results in reduced blood flow to the tissues and subsequent hypoxia.

It is widely accepted that nursing home residents who are compromised nutritionally are at higher risk for the development of bedsores.

Whenever there is compromised blood flow to the tissues, there is increased risk of bedsore development. 

If you cannot feel pain or pressure, you are at higher risk of developing a bedsore. Residents who fit into this category include those with spinal cord damage, stroke, MS, neuropathy and other conditions that compromise one’s ability to perceive pain and/or pressure.

Nursing home residents with darker skin pigmentation may be at risk for bedsores and/or pressure ulcers simply because health care professionals fail to recognize the early signs of pressure damage (i.e. blanching erythema). In addition, patients with conditions that change the normal appearance of the skin are at high risk (e.g. patients with bruising, dermatitis, eczema and other skin diseases).

The surface upon which the nursing home resident lies or sits can profoundly influence pressure over bony prominences, as can lying or sitting in the same position for long periods of time, such as in a wheelchair without pressure relief. 

Pain may prevent nursing home residents from moving, even when they are feeling the unpleasant effects of pressure. Too much pain medication may sedate residents to the point where they don’t change position as often as they should, or at all. 

Elder residents may be at higher risk for the development of bedsores due to inability to move/change position independently. 

Nursing home residents suffering from dementia or other cognitive disorders may be unable to comprehend instructions that could help prevent pressure injuries/bedsores; or residents may fail to recognize discomfort as a signal to change position or to signal for assistance.

Incontinence may cause skin damage that can increase the risk of developing pressure ulcers/bedsores. This skin damage may make it more difficult for health care professionals to recognize the early warning signs of pressure ulcers (i.e. reddened areas of skin that blanch when light pressure is applied).