Nursing Homes in Your Community and Neighboring Communities

Nursing Home in Community
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Nursing Home in Community
Even though there is limited information concerning factors that explain the risk for the pressure ulcers in different nursing homes. However, issues such as increased age, acute and chronic conditions of patients and decreased mobility enhance the development of pressure ulcers. The condition commonly results in pain; longer hospital stays increased complications for the patients and social burden. These are typically coupled with high economic costs for the patients, institutions and the community in general (McInnes et al. 2015). As at the year 2004, about 11% or more than 1 in 10 nursing homes had pressure ulcers with the most common being stage 2 at 34 percent. Most people with such conditions were aged 64 and below who even had greater risks of acquiring such complications than the older people. Besides, it was noted that older people with less length of stays in the hospital of less than a year are prone to pressure ulcers that those with longer stays. On a separate note, patients that have exhibited weight loss in recent times are more likely to have pressure ulcers (McInnes et al. 2015). Therefore, pressure ulcer is a real problem in the community nursing homes which need proper strategies to enhance its awareness among the community residents.
One main aspect that escalates the rise of pressure ulcers in nursing homes is a lack of sufficient knowledge among some nurses especially on best ways of prevention. In most cases, a PU risk assessment scale is typically used as a quality indicator for care processes with no proper prevention interventions (Kottner & Balzer, 2010). Thus, one critical aspect is laying out a strategy for the creation of awareness concerning the problem.
One such strategy is nurse engagement. Nurses are usually the champions in the community since they can provide community support. These nurses are best placed to share the best practice approaches, coach one another as well as give accountability for their actions besides create opportunities challenge cultural norms and assumptions when working together within the community setup where the nursing home is located. Therefore, the nurses have a role to teach, motivate people, patients, and their colleagues to ensure enthusiasm and support everybody with the aim of helping these people become aware of the issue (Middleton, 2012).
Secondly, it is critical to enhancing community campaign and management whereby pressure ulcer risk assessment tools are implemented to help with the evaluation of people with higher risks of developing such conditions (Chamanga, 2016). The different tools that are essential in community management include Purpose T, Walsall Community Risk Score Calculator, Braden Scale and the SSKIN bundle that help in supporting the care plans and awareness. Besides, there is a need to engage in campaigns that are aimed at preventing the pressure ulcers (Chamanga, 2016). These are typically centered on education, helping the community members understand the risks and what at risk patients can do to avoid contacting the PU. On the same note, the nurses should train the community staff to enhance early and accurate recognition of th...