for the heels - isn't sheepskin used anymore?

[GingerSue]

how to protect a patient's heels on those feet that lie for hours on the bed and now have discoloured areas - diabetic feet, recent cellulitis

what can be used to prevent heel decubitus ulcers? BEFORE the heels turn purple with those blistered-looking areas that become deep decubitus ulcers.

I remember the use of sheepskin either on the bed, or the sheepskin heel protectors - is there a reason why these might not be used currently?

And for elbows that are now getting purple and skin is breaking down - what helps protect these area?

[RunningWithScissors]

Our product for those boots with the metal loop is called a Podus boot.

Our short-sighted hospital has NO lifting aids for patients, so it's either PT to get the immobile folks OOB or not at all.

[GingerSue]

I remember doing lifts with three people (one at the person's head/shoulders, one at the hips, and one for the legs) - coordinated lift from bed to wheelchair, and from wheelchair back to bed - worked fine for some, but I realize that it would be impossible for some who are very obese

[NJNursing, ASN, RN]

We elevate heels off the beds, turn pt's q 2 hours. For elbows we have those egg crate foamy things, but we also bought the pricy Hill-Rom Versacare beds and we have not had ONE single in-hospital skin breakdown in those beds since we opened our new unit with them in April. They're impressive.

[Daniel Putignano LPN]

the facility I use has "blue booties" or "bunny boots" as they're are typically called. But one thing I do not understand is why does anyone ever uses skin prep? Pressure is a force from weight. I can see how skin prep might help with shearing forces but downward pressure would most likely not care about a thin layer of skin prep under it. Someone said it toughens the skin? Is there literature on this at all? Because I plan on banning skin prepping from heels, especially since nobody has time to do it anyway and go stricly with heel floaters. If anyone has literature on skin prep and its uses whether labeled on non-labeled please let me know. Nursing homes are too busy and under staffed to be doing unnecessary treatments.