Are there any checklists or tools to help identify risk?
While you were researching your service’s policies and practice materials you may have found information about the risk assessment tool that is used in your service. The tools used in Victorian residential aged care services include the:
Braden scale (22kb, pdf)- Waterlow Pressure Ulcer Risk Assessment Tool (19kb, pdf)
- Norton Scale (14kb, pdf)
- Tools developed by individual services.
Pressure area assessment tools may be part of a skin assessment or the initial assessment of a resident.
You should use your observation skills to continually identify when residents may be at increased risk of developing a pressure area.
Select one or two residents and use the tool that your service uses to assess their risk of developing pressure areas.
Check the resident’s pressure area prevention plan to check how your assessment compares with earlier assessments.
Talk to a colleague about your findings. If you identify something you are concerned about, report your findings in accordance with the policies of your aged care service.
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