Dear Betty,

My mom is in poor health and has just moved in with me. She’s in bed a lot, though she does get up some to sit and read or watch TV. This situation worries me because I’ve heard you can develop bed sores from sitting or lying in one place too long. I want her to be comfortable and not have to face still another medical problem. Unfortunately, I’m not a nurse, and teaching math hasn’t prepared me for this. Do you have any tips for new caregivers like me?

Not a Nurse and Nervous Dear Not a Nurse,

I’ve spoken with some of our medical staff here at Mountain-Pacific, and they passed along these tips:

If your mom is lying down a lot, she needs to change her position at least every hour or two. This will keep constant pressure off one spot. She can use pillows under areas that are particularly prone to bedsores: tailbone, hips, the insides of knees. You can also take pressure off her tailbone by lowering the head of the bed. If she’s sitting in a chair, she should change her position even more often.

Be sure your mom is eating a healthful diet too. That’s more important than you might think. Serve lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and lean meat – or other healthful proteins like fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. Make sure she drinks lots of water.

Of course, you’ll want to make sure your mom’s skin is super clean everywhere and moisturize if you need to with a high-quality product (without alcohol).

One of the most important things you can do is to check your mom’s skin regularly.

Keep an eye out for warning signs: cracks, sores, red or white spots or any other skin changes. If you see them, call the doctor. As you already have guessed, it’s best to think ahead and fix a problem before it starts or when it’s still a small problem.

Also, you might want to check out our Web site at www.mpqhf.org for a four-part article for people whose activities are limited and want to keep their skin safe. It includes a diagram that shows where people frequently develop bed sores. After you take a look, you can give special care to checking those places. Check the home page for “Protecting Your Skin” under latest resource. You can also find it in the consumer section of the site.

Dear Betty is a biweekly question-and-answer column sponsored by Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, the Medicare quality improvement organization for Montana. Betty is Betty Beverly, a Mountain-Pacific board member, president of the Montana Senior Citizens Association, certified Montana SHIP counselor and AARP volunteer. Betty uses her own experience, that of professional contacts, and the expertise of Mountain-Pacific’s medical and professional staff to answer questions about health and other topics of interest to seniors and others. Mail your questions to Betty at Mountain-Pacific Quality Health, 3404 Cooney Drive, Helena, MT 59602 or e-mail them to dearbetty@mpqhf.org.