For Immediate Release

Saving Oklahoma’s Skin—Sending out an SOS Statewide
Skin Care Fair Targets Reducing Pressure Ulcers

Oklahoma City — Many Oklahomans suffer from pressure ulcers, also known as “bed sores.” In fact, Oklahoma has the third highest ranking in the nation. To turn it around, a team of experts in skin care are coming together to save Oklahoma’s skin. As a part of building awareness, a free Skin Care Fair will be held at Mercy Health Center Tuesday, February 10.

“Because this is such an important issue to Oklahomans, the solution must involve health care providers across the spectrum, including hospitals, nursing homes, home health and hospice care,” said LaWanna Halstead, RN, MPH, vice president of quality and clinical initiatives at the Oklahoma Hospital Association. “But it is also an important issue for people who care for elderly parents or chronically ill loved ones. The SOS message our coalition wants to get out is that everyone has an opportunity to make a difference. By being aware, knowing what to look for and the best methods to avoid getting bed sores, we can significantly reduce the chances for skin ulcers ever developing.”

And that’s why the fair – with scores of hands-on educational booths – can provide Oklahomans with the know-how and the tools to help reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers and better treat them if they do occur.

“Most lay people lack the information to know how to avoid getting pressure ulcers,” said Halstead. “Our skin fair is interactive and offers unique demonstrations, as well as the latest equipment and products in preventing pressure ulcers. For one of the demonstrations, called the “Barren Dessert,” we use onions and a tube sock to demonstrate how something as simple as moisturizer can reduce the effects of friction on the skin. If you take a dry onion in and out of a sock, the onion skin tears and sheds layers. But if you take an onion, slather it with a moisturizer, then do the same with the sock, it doesn’t peel as easily. Moisturizers provide a barrier of protection for skin.”

Other demonstrations will include everything from tomatoes to tape and “Goldfish” crackers to wax paper, including one demo dubbed “Princess and the Pea” which underlines the importance of reducing and relieving pressure by using a pillow and firm ball.

“It’s all very hands-on so people really see how to prevent and treat pressure ulcers. We must increase awareness because pressure ulcers are extremely painful and can be life threatening if not taken care of effectively. They are also expensive to treat, increasing health care costs for all Oklahomans,” said Nancy Dobbs, MEd, RN-BC, CWOCN, Mercy enterostomal therapist.

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently ranked Oklahoma with the third highest incidence of pressure ulcers in nursing homes. Although hospital pressure ulcer rates aren’t available, data is currently being collected and is expected to be available in coming years.

Presented by the Oklahoma Pressure Ulcer Coalition, the free fair, held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with a come and go format), gives health care workers, caregivers and family members of people at-risk a chance to observe and experience effective strategies to prevent and treat pressure ulcers. Mercy will provide parking at Church of the Servant, North MacArthur Boulevard and Memorial Road, along with free door-to-door shuttle service. For more information about the fair, contact Nancy Dobbs at (405) 752-3183 or LaWanna Halstead at (405) 427-9537.

Dedicated to improving the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, the Oklahoma Pressure Ulcer Coalition includes a variety of organizations and providers.
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Press release dated: January 13, 2009