Reducing & Managing Pressure Ulcers at the End of Life

Wounds are a common occurrence in patients with terminal illnesses, it has been estimated that approximately one third of palliative care patients will experience a pressure ulcer. Pressure wounds are seen most often in elderly and terminally ill patients as a result skin failure — a naturally occurring process commonly associated with terminal illness wherein the skin begins to break down and die. At the end of life multiple risk factors can lead to pressure ulcers. The prevention and management of pressure ulcers at the end of life must also be balanced alongside the patients preferences presenting ethical dilemmas such as when prevention and active management should stop in the last days of life. This national conference focuses on the reduction and management of pressure ulcers at the end of life, from risk assessment to controlling pain and discomfort in the last days of life.