Pressure Ulcer Development in Older Adult Home Health - Research Paper Example

?OUTCOME AND ASSESSMENT INFORMATION SET DATA THAT PREDICT PRESSURE ULCER DEVELOPMENT IN OLDER ADULT HOME HEALTH Research Question What are the risk factors associated with pressure ulcer and how can the effects of the disease be minimized in older adults? Theoretical Framework Old age or ageing is seen by reviewers as a state of maturity associated with several health related issues that should be of great concern to health practitioners such as the nurse. One of such health problem is Pressure Ulcer. In conformity to the explanation by the Arkansas State University College of Education (2008), the theoretical framework of most of the sources discussed in this review “establishes a vantage point, a perspective, a set of lenses through which the researcher views the problem.” Generally, the deep tissue injury theory was used by researchers with the view that ulcers occur, starting from areas around the bone till they get to the epidermis – thus beginning from the deepest level. According to the American Geriatics Association (2005), “Pressure ulcers are areas of tissue damage that develop when the skin and soft tissues (eg, muscle) are squeezed between the bones and the surface that is in contact with the body, such as a mattress.” These ulcers occur around areas such as hip, heel and buttocks. Methods The results of the research by Bergquist-Beringer and Gajewski, which was conducted among 5395 non-hospice patients of 60 years or older showed that bowel incontinence, needing assistance with grooming, dependence in ability to dress the upper body, dependence in ability to dress the lower body, dependence in toileting, inability to transfer, being chairfast or bedfast, and the presence of a PrU on admission were positively associated with new PrU development (Bergquist-Beringer and Gajewski, 2011). The factors raised in the researcher were therefore concluded as the risk factors for pressure ulcers for patients in home healthcare. In a similar research conducted among 1711 nonhospice patients 60 years or older, Bergquist (2003) however came out with results that were not directly in line with the risk factors pointed out by the former researchers. Unlike the first researchers but not in sharp contrast to their results, Bergquist pointed to the risk factors for pressure ulcers for patients in home healthcare as Limitation in activity to bed, dependence in dressing, urinary incontinence, and needing assistance with transferring predicted Stage I pressure ulcer development (P Read More