Top Tips

We've developed a range of Top Tips to support our INCLUSIVITY #LOOKINGANDLISTENING #STOPTHEPRESSURE campaign

Categorising a Pressure Ulcer

Ensure you have good lighting so you can see the pressure area clearly. If dark skin moistening the skin may help with discolouration
Ensure the patient is in a stable and comfortable position to give you adequate time to assess the skin / their wound. Ensure the individual has had appropriate and adequate analgesia
Clean the wound and surrounding skin prior to completing your assessment
Remove any loose tissue or debris
Photograph the wound as a record of what you saw
Have a copy of the categorisation tool, describe the wound and ask a colleague to circle the words used in your description, this may help you select the category
Think about the location of the wound on their body, what tissue types are present in that area. Is there bone present, is there muscle or neither of these present?
Don’t just rely on what you can see, use your hands to check temperature and texture
Ask the patient about the presence of any pain, numbness or itching
If a blister, try shining a light through to determine the colour / type of fluid

Always make sure you have the person’s attention before speaking
Face the person while you are speaking, do not turn away
Always stand with your face to the light and make eye contact where possible
Start by making the topic of the conversation as clear as possible
Try to speak clearly and naturally and use facial expressions EG: sad face when talking about something negative

Never make assumptions about communication preferences. Some people use sign language, some hear with their hearing aids, some use lip reading – most people use a combination of approaches
Make sure there isn’t lots of noise in the background (like a TV) or try to talk to someone from across the room. Recommended distance is 1 metre
Don’t cover or put anything in your mouth while talking. Eating or biting your nails while talking to someone is a definite no
Avoid standing with you back to the window – this can turn your face into a shadow and make it harder to lip read
Try not to speak too slowly, mumble or shout – this will distort your lip patterns and make it harder to understand
Don’t use the term “Hearing Impaired” – there is nothing wrong with the brain. Better term to use is deaf or hearing loss
Don’t give up, get frustrated or say “Forget it”!

Take your time and rephrase and be patient.
Repeat or rephrase what you have said if you need to, as some words might be tricky to understand. If you are stuck, try writing it down. Learn some basic sign or finger spelling – you will see the deaf person’s face light up

FOOT CHECKS – Non-slip socks should be removed REGULARLY to assess:-

Listen to your patient and families and ask for suitable socks and footwear.
Non-slip socks are not intended to be worn as socks under footwear.
Safe/ suitable footwear is a key intervention in falls reduction and for rehabilitation