What do we mean by 'Champions in Pressure Ulcer Prevention'?
Champions in Pressure Ulcer Management (CiPUP) are specially trained senior staff who have been selected to develop their knowledge in this area. We aim to provide a lead person in each care package who can advise their teams on correct pressure ulcer prevention techniques to prevent them from developing and manage a category one pressure ulcer if it arises. Our objective, of course, is to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
Pressure ulcers, or pressure sores as they are also known, can develop in any person of any age for various reasons. However, they usually develop when the person may be unable to change their position after 20 minutes or more, e.g., following injury, surgery, spinal damage, stroke, unconsciousness, advanced dementia or neuromuscular conditions.
Why appoint CPUP's?
Aster Care supports people on a one-to-one basis for anything up to 24 hours a day because they have intensive needs and cannot be left alone at any time. Many of our service users are immobile, and whether they can communicate with us or not, they can be highly susceptible to sores developing from unrelieved pressure. By having staff trained to identify and treat these sores at the earliest intervention, we aim to prevent further deterioration and suffering.
What is the scope of their training?
- What is a 'pressure ulcer'?
- What causes pressure ulcers?
- Assessing pressure ulcers
- Repositioning techniques
- Managing a grade 1 pressure ulcer