I took my brother(paraplegic) to his rehab dr. yesterday & to my shock found out that his pressure sores are so serious that he's required to stay in bed for a month for them to heal. I feel so terrible . We've been trying everything to keep him healthy and wound free,but he can be stubborn-he sometimes wears his jeans(bad-seams break down skin as they rub) and because he was having a bladder leak issue,had my mom put a folded towel on his wheelchair seat ,thereby covering the soft sheepskin cover that protects his skin. In addition,he's lost 25 lb.s. It's so hard to get him to eat-he says he has no appetite-we try making everything under the sun or bringing him in food.Dr. said he wanted him to see a psych Dr.-Great,but, he's not allowed out of bed& I don't know any that make housecalls.He's already on prozac for depression because he was so despondent once home(after 5 1/2 mos. in hospital for leukemia complications that led to this paralysis). I am just overwhelmed trying to figure out how to keep him healthy. I looked up info on the net & found a site for Dermawound,a compound that's supposed to work wonders for wound healing-but is it legit? Does anyone know anything about it or have used it? I know a big part of keeping him healthy is nutrition & believe it or not he's on all kinds of vitamins & protein drinks-but they are no substitute for food to put on weight,as being bony causes skin breakdown & slows healing. Any suggestions for appetite icreasing? I thought about steroids,but they sometimes mask symptoms of other problems & we still have to watch for issues with leukemia. Any knowledge or suggestions would be much appreciated-Thanks!!!Plus prayers are always welcome-you guys have been so great-this place is my go-to outlet

One thing they always taught us in CNA training was to rotate sides (get him off the pressure points) every two hours. that is the only thing I can remember, It was almost 11yrs ago I quit to be a SAHM.

I would call a nursing home and see what they suggest, they see a lot of bed sores in a place like that.

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Hi,
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The issue of apptetite suppression may be a side effect of meds he's currently on. It's a catch 22 situation.. Meds make you get well but tailspin the efforts of protein drinks to put back the weight being lost.
UGH! We've dealt with that issue as well. No advice other than to acknowledge we know the frustration too!

and hey, Don't give up on the idea of treating mental health right now.
Call a few offices and see what they do in a situation such as this and there may be a workable solution.
Now with the internet allowing video conferencing now a days, you never know.
Use the resource of your Patient Advocate from your most regularly visited Dr.'s Office to do the calling on your behalf if needed. They are there to help in any way possible.
They could explain that this is a unique situation that demands temporary care in the interim until he's able to come to the Appointments in person at an offsite location.

If push came to shove (i.e. - We'd do ANYTHING to get him the care he needs) Could you consider 4 week respite care at a local facility of your choice so he could have the services provided "in house" both for his sores and the depression while he stayed there? He may not be willing to attempt going somewhere else after 5 1/2 months in the hospital...(Our family has dealt with two agonizing months and months ~l~o~n~g stays as well.) but if it were available and met the needs....something to think about.

Now about you, Caregivers need to stay healthy too. Be sure and take extra good care of yourself as well!
You have our thoughts and prayers,
X

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Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

As for treating the actual bedsores themselves, the Dr sould have given you directions and the products to use. I think if I were you, I'd ask for home health services. YOu'd have a nurse visit at least once a week and pysical therapy too if needed. Also, Megace is what our patients use to increase thier appetite. Ask his Dr for an Rx.

Selena

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God is not Santa Claus

There is an old adage- You can put anything you want on a bedsore, except the patient. This statement means that bedsore treatments go in cycles- some people believe in honey, maalox, wet to dry dressings, heat lamps, etc, etc. But, the MOST important thing you can do is get the person off the bedsore. Bedsore occur because the tissue gets squished between a bone and whatever the person is sitting/laying on. The blood can't get to that area and a bedsore (tissue death) starts. There are some terrific products on the market today. But, these are not items that you will see advertised or know about.
You need a wound specialist referral and home health services Your brother will probably be resistant to 1. being told what to do, 2. a bunch of women coming in looking at his butt and private parts, and 3. getting off his butt. Depressed or not you have to take a firm stance and do what he needs not what he wants. He already proved that doing it his way didn't work. Yes, he also needs a mental health evaluation. The home health agency will probably have a social worker who can evaluate him in the home.
He will never get away from skin problems. This is a life long issue for him. He might as well learn now how to do it correctly.

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Lyn Clarke

I spent 4 months in a wheelchair last years, 2 of those months in a rehab hospital. The most important thing I learned about pressure sores was how to avoid them by doing pressure reliefs. As the other poster said, the patient should be moved or repositioned every two hours when lying in bed. While in the wheelchair, you should perform pressure reliefs every 15 minutes. Depending on the strength of the person, pressure reliefs can be done by having the person lift his bottom out of the wheelchair using his arms. If that is not possible, the person can be tipped back by someone else and held leaning back in that position to relieve the pressure. Or, if a mechanical chair is being used, the patient can use their controller to tip the chair back.

Your poor brother has been put through the ringer! I don't have any help w/ the bedsores, but when my son was on treatment, the Dr. prescribed Marinol to boost his appetite. It is a marijuana based (legal w/ script) drug, and boy oh boy did he get the munchies a few mins. after taking it. He never really gained any weight from it, but it helped him not to lose anymore and kept him out of the hospital for TPN (IV nutrition). I hope things turn around for your brother real soon-he is so blessed to have your support.