with pressure relief in mind. A patient’s furniture
may not have any pressure-relieving properties. Also, nurses
should be aware of parts of that furniture that can cause
pressure damage, such as armrests or headrests. Parts of
wheelchairs, such as ill-fitting cushions, foot plates, bars or
armrests, can also put pressure on skin.
■■ Patients living in inappropriate environments. These include
environments that are too small for effective pressure area
care, too cluttered for the patient to easily move in or that
make it difficult for them to access their toilet or bathroom,
and so affecting their ability to contain their personal
hygiene and/or continence.
Risk assessment tools can be useful but are often written
for inpatients, rarely considering the risks of a patient’s home
(Parnham et al, 2015). Community nurses are not with a
patient 24 hours a day, so assessments must consider risks that
could arise throughout a patient’s day (including when they
are asleep), what they eat, any risks in their environment and
whether there have been any changes to their health.