News
Stop the Pressure
With your help, we’re using the global awareness campaign on 19 November – Stop the Pressure Day 2020 – to highlight the huge impact that pressure ulcers can have.
Pressure ulcers are one of the easiest to prevent and hardest to treat problems experienced by the SCI community. They can have devastating consequences, not just for the person themselves, but also for their families and relationships.
Thank you to everyone who has offered to share their own personal experience of pressure ulcers. We’ve collated a selection of these on our website to give you an insight into the risks, dangers, challenges and how to mitigate them.
And throughout the week of 19 November, we’ll be sharing more insights on our social media channels. Please do share your thoughts and experiences in response to those posts too – personal insights can be so helpful in raising awareness of this problem that could affect anyone with an SCI.
Starting from Monday 16 November and continuing throughout the week we will be featuring people’s personal experiences of pressure ulcers on our blog.
If you’ve sent us your story but we haven’t been in touch yet, then rest assured we will be!
It’s a topic we know we need to talk more about so that everyone affected by SCI understands what to look out for, what to do if they see a red mark on their skin, and how to minimise the risks of pressure ulcers and their potentially awful consequences.
See our ‘Stop & Act’ resource for how to prevent pressure ulcers.
Download our factsheet: ‘pressure ulcers – the basics.
We also know that tissue viability and skin care for people with SCI involves a complex mix of factors of which general healthcare professionals are often unaware. That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome the newest addition to our SCI Nurse Specialist Team, Damian Smith. As an SCI Nurse Specialist with an interest in tissue viability – he takes a holistic approach to pressure ulcer prevention and management. Meet Damian and hear more about what he has to say. We’re delighted that Damian will take a lead role in developing our new SIA Academy Study Day called ‘Preventing Skin Compromise in SCI Skin,’ which we hope to launch early next year. Watch this space! In the meantime, you can meet Damian and ask him questions about SCI and skin care at our weekly café. On 18 November, from 3pm till 4pm, Damian will host a session over Zoom focusing on tissue viability. Join the discussion here.
Our nurse specialists have been working closely with pressure-relieving product manufacturers Talley, in the run up to this campaign. Talley have provided written, video and physical resources (such as small mirrors) to support general healthcare professionals who are working with SCI people.
For an overview of the human cost and economic impact of pressure ulcers – as well as further insights into prevention – take a look at this excerpt from October’s Forward magazine, including articles written by SIA’s Head of Services, Campaigns Manager and SCI Nurse Specialist.
We’ll be sharing more information and insights – about pressure ulcers and many other aspects of SCI – in future issues too. Subscribe to Forward.
So, although this first – and ongoing – phase of the Stop the Pressure campaign is all about awareness and prevention, we’re also widening the net and campaigning for more investment in treatment and research. That begins with an official launch at the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on 18 November. Watch this space for more details…