Unicare delivers the latest in pressure care discoveries on Worldwide Pressure Injury Prevention Day 2023
On Thursday, November 16th, Unicare held its annual #stopthepressure event in celebration of Worldwide Pressure Injury Prevention Day. This highly anticipated event delivers education about new developments and technologies in pressure injury treatment and care. Clinicians who attended gained world-class insights and information resources to help them become more capable and confident in their care of pressure injuries.
Pressure injuries are a well-known issue across Australia’s medical industry, occurring in about 13% of overnight hospitalised patients. These preventable injuries take a long time to heal and can cause severe pain to the most vulnerable members of our population. While advancements have been made to reduce the risk and impact of pressure injuries, there is still plenty of work to be done. Education and prevention strategies are essential to reduce the burden these injuries place on our healthcare system and keep patients well-cared for.
Seminar: Pressure Injury Prevention and Management
– Building a stronger #stopthepressure community together
Thursday, 16 November 2023
Technology Park Function Centre, Bentley
Perth’s premier event on Worldwide Pressure Injury Prevention Day is hosted as part of Unicare Health’s #stopthepressure campaign, which aims to reduce the impact of pressure injuries across Australia. Since 2018, we have worked to increase the awareness of pressure injury care and prevention within our healthcare industry. #stopthepressure equips clinicians and carers with up-to-date information and techniques to deliver the most effective care. This year, 160 clinicians involved in pressure injury care attended to learn about new practice developments and equipment innovations.
Staying up to date on new developments is critical to providing effective treatment. That’s why this year, we proudly introduced attendees to the latest in pressure injury research, straight from the 2023 European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP). Speakers Annette Terranova and Ilissa Liew, who had the pleasure of attending the EPUAP 2023 conference in Leeds, shared their discoveries with the crowd.
Your Speakers
Our clinical trainer and educator at Unicare Health, Annette Terranova, shared her wealth of knowledge and experience in pressure care. Annette is a renowned clinical educator and highly respected occupational therapist who has spoken at numerous healthcare events across Australia. She has over 35 years of experience and has worked extensively as a clinician and consultant in the aged care sector. As a clinical educator and trainer for Unicare Health, she facilitates product and clinical training for allied health professionals, enabling them to become more proficient equipment prescribers.
Ilissa Liew, Unicare’s clinical educator for sleep support surfaces, was our second speaker of the day. As an occupational therapist with 15 years of industry experience and a passion for pressure care and sleep positioning solutions, Ilissa is a knowledgeable prescriber and educator on the use of electric profiling beds, therapeutic mattresses, and sleep positioning devices.
#stopthepressure
Annette began by detailing the far-reaching consequences of pressure injuries. The impact of a pressure care injury does not stop with the person affected: they create significant distress for the person’s loved ones and caregivers, along with a loss of faith in their care organisation, and result in increased spending on care and treatment costs. These costs are consistently estimated to be larger than costs for prevention. Focusing on prevention strategies could therefore result in billions of dollars saved for hospitals and care organisations. Implementing better care strategies also helps to stop pressure injuries from becoming worse. So, how do we implement prevention strategies and improve our quality of care?
Annette and Illissa shared their findings from EPUAP 2023, the world’s leading pressure injury conference. These groundbreaking studies reflected new avenues for the prevention and care of pressure injuries. Among these discussions were the exciting applications of AI in pressure injury care. New directions in AI promise more readily available treatments, supplementing Australia’s understaffed healthcare industry. This reduces the burden placed on Australian workers while also making it easier and more convenient for people to seek out care.
Further discussion included the benefits and importance of person-centric care as opposed to patient-centric care, and the effect of skin tone on pressure injury management. Looking for typical signs of redness may be ineffective when treating darker skin tones, where skin irritation presents differently. To help manage this, Ilissa discussed her tips for treating people with darker skin tones.
Sleep Support
As Unicare’s sleep support specialist, Ilissa discussed pressure care mattress options suited for pressure injury care. She highlighted the highly advanced Curocell range by Care of Sweden, many of which feature a pump for flexible pressure modes: pulsation, alternation, and constant low pressure (CLP). Pulsation is the default mode, inflating and deflating each air cell to create a circulation of pressure that is gentle enough to not cause discomfort or ‘seasickness’. Alternation works similarly but with a more dramatic effect, making it more beneficial for people with greater care requirements. The CuroCell A4 pump offers the flexibility to choose between these modes, allowing people to be cared for in the way that suits them. Alternatively, the Curocell IQ pump is a streamlined and easy-to-use version that offers the CuroCell’s most popular mode: pulsation.
The CuroCell CX mattress range is suitable for clients at high risk of pressure injuries. This air mattress aids in the treatment of pressure injuries even at more severe stages, up to and including stage 4. It is simple to use and clean, features a low bed height, and is suitable to travel with, making it a versatile solution. The CuroCell Cirrus serves a similar function but is made of a hybrid construction of air and foam. Because of this, the sensation of movement from the pulsation and alternating modes is reduced, making it a good option for individuals with chronic pain who prefer a gentler treatment.
The Optimal 5zon by Care of Sweden offers support for pressure injuries up to category 2. It is a soft and flexible foam mattress that is ideal for all types of healthcare environments. Its design provides comfort and support when sitting and lying down, and includes two foam layers and specialised inner covers to reduce shear. This enhances user comfort and protects the integrity of their skin.
A Closer Look at Cushions
Annette gave the crowd a course on pressure care cushions. She made this presentation highly interactive, inviting the audience to try out and share their thoughts on different cushion technologies. For instance, the Action Pilot is a high-quality polymer gel pillow that comes in a wide range of sizes. It provides significant impact absorption and protection against shear. Meanwhile, the Equagel is a lightweight dry-polymer gel option featuring a smart ‘collapsing grid’ design. It is important to understand these qualities and features when recommending the right pressure care cushion.
Annette also featured the Jay cushion range, made with cooling fluid technology and contoured closed-cell foam. This foam is easy to modify for custom needs. The Jay J2 cushion features a fluid tripad for ischial immersion and envelopment, supporting posture and comfort. The J2 Plus model further offers a supportive alternative for bariatric clients.
ROHO is also well-known as a leader in pressure care cushion technology. ROHO cushions feature air cells that move with the user’s body, adapting to their positioning. These cushions are lightweight and provide good immersion while creating a large area of surface contact to distribute weight. They are good solutions for preventing and treating pressure injuries, including deep tissue injuries, while protecting skin and soft tissue.
Lovely Day for a Picnic
With the blue skies too nice to stay inside, we decided to have lunch on the green! All our lovely attendees grabbed a Unicare picnic blanket and headed outside for a delicious meal. Cicciobello’s pizza served up a platter of tasty slices, fresh from the oven. Afterwards, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream hit the spot with a sweet sugar rush 😋
We were delighted to chat with many friends and familiar faces. Fostering connection and encouraging people to share their knowledge is one of the most important parts of these events. Pressure injuries are a widespread and complex issue that affects healthcare all across Australia. So, whose responsibility is it to reduce pressure injuries? It’s up to all of us to make a difference. Let’s work together to #stopthepressure and keep everyone feeling comfortable, safe, and happy!
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2023 Stop Pressure Injury Day. We hope you enjoyed your time learning about pressure injury care and prevention and gained some valuable insights to incorporate into your care. If you have any questions about the topics discussed or want to discover more pressure care technology, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our support is only a phone call away.
We hope to see you all again next year. Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!
