Pressure ulcers: are they are a safeguarding issue in care and nursing homes?

The impact of the Care Act (Department of Health [DH], 2014) and adult legislation such as the Mental Capacity Act (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, 2009) has resulted in closer scrutiny of care provision and outcomes for those living in residential and nursing homes. Issues are being raised concerning safeguarding and the incidence of pressure ulcers, and whether the two are inextricably linked. A literature review was undertaken searching EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BNI and CINAHL, using the key words ‘pressure ulcers’, ‘risk’, ‘nursing’, ‘care home’ and ‘safeguarding’. No date limits were set. Five papers were retrieved and screened; all five were included in the review. Papers were retrieved from the USA and Australia, with none retrieved from the UK. In general, the findings did not show that the incidence of pressure ulcers is considered to be a safeguarding issue. A number of variables impacted pressure ulcer development, such as: staffing levels; ratio of qualified to non-qualified staff; and lack of education in recognising and prevention of pressure ulcers. Residential homes with a high incidence of pressure ulcers delivered poor quality care. As this was a literature review, it would be beneficial to undertake a systematic review of the literature in the future.