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The doctor says he will remove some of the dead skin from her heel today. Dead!? Is this the beginning of the end? Can these things be cured or just managed? I’m in the process of moving mom to assisted living plus. Can’t come too soon it seems.

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Bed sores can be healed and/or managed but success depends on a few things. If the bed sore is on a lower extremity there must be an adequate blood supply to the foot for it to heal. Often circulation is compromised in the elderly due to PVD or diabetes. Sometimes a vascular surgeon can evaluate for a stent placement once the blocked blood vessel is identified & open the blood flow to the area.
Good Nutrition is a must. Wounds need protein to build new tissue.
Often wounds are debrided to get the dead skin off so new tissue can form.
And of course keeping further pressure off the bed sore is the most important thing.
Sounds like your mom has a bedsore on her heal. Make sure she is wearing those off pressure booties & changes her position frequently.
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Its been my experience with my husband that bedsores (his at least) was just managed. When he contracted his, I was not yet bed-bathing him and in our small shower, it was not possible for me to really see it. It was on his right buttock, in a fold of skin. By the time we went to the wound care specialist it was pretty deep. We doctored for over a year. Weekly visits and all kind of treatments and medications at home. Doc said surgery was a last resort. He still has the depression on his buttock but it’s no longer inflamed and infected.

The doctor said he he was going to remove dead skin or “debride” the wound. That means get rid of the dead skin. It doesn’t mean the end is near for Mom. Have you ever had a pedicure where the pedicurist used an emery file on your feet? Same thing. Didn’t mean you were on your way out. Removing the dead skin leaves the opportunity for new skin to (hopefully) grow.

i suspect you’re not real happy with Mom’s care. Where is she, in the hospital? When she moves to AL, make sure all her records followed her. Call regular Care Conferences with the staff so you know exactly what’s going on. Make sure the bedsore is attended to. If neglected, they can cause infections that can be fatal. But know what their treatment plan involves so you can make educated comments if you feel something isn’t right.
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What is your mother's condition? Diagnosis? Is she confined to her bed?
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