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Post by birdy on Dec 21, 2023 22:58:02 GMT
Looking for any advice. My dad had to go on blood thinners. He is almost 80. He has very thin skin as most older people do. He's also prone to falling (part of a neurological condition). When he gets cut, it's not so much like a cut in the skin but rather that the skin peels back (rolls, I guess??). He's bleeding all over the house, on their furniture, through his bed sheets and has ruined many shirts/pants. My mom bought a product called Quick Stop but it doesn't help. The drs. have no advice but say he must be on the thinners or he will have a stroke. Has anyone had experience with this and can suggest some tips or products? He fell this morning and peeled back about a 1.5 inch x 3 inch patch on his arm 2 hours before I went over there and it was still dripping blood (with gauze over it) when I got there. He was sound asleep because he had a migraine and was bleeding all over his bed. I went in with my mom to look at it. Jokingly I said, you should put a pad over it and then run gauze around it to hold it in place. She had some that she kept on hand for my DD and did that. I haven't talked to her since this morning to see if it worked, but I can only imagine my dads surprise when he woke up with a pad stuck to his arm, lol!
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Post by volunteergirl on Dec 21, 2023 23:22:28 GMT
Styptik stick is what my husband uses. It also sounds like he is not putting enough pressure on the wound or isn’t applying the pressure long enough.
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Post by malibou on Dec 21, 2023 23:36:06 GMT
Definitely he needs to cover those wounds and apply pressure. My dad wears lightweight sleeves on his arms. He got them from a tennis coach who used them to protect his arms from the sun. It helps keep him from getting knicked, and when he does, he just shoves gauze under the sleeve to hold it in place, and that is typically enough pressure.
He cut his head recently, and was having trouble stopping the flow. My mom suggested he put a nylon on his head like a burglar. 😂
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snyder
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Posts: 3,956 
Location: Colorado
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Post by snyder on Dec 21, 2023 23:44:23 GMT
This sounds disturbing. I get the need of blood thinners to help with stroke prevention, but the response from the doctor was very inadequate. Do you know what dosage of thinner he is on? I would think maybe they could tone it down a wee bit and give him some very helpful advice on how to deal with all his booboos! Bless his heart. {{{Hugs}}}
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Post by dewryce on Dec 21, 2023 23:45:56 GMT
We keep these Quick Clot Gauze Pads everywhere. Upstairs, downstairs, purse, car, travel first aid packs, etc. DH says they really help. They’re expensive so we got them every month through subscribe & save. For his nose bleeds, he just started using Nampons and much prefers them to endless TP. He’s 52, so his skin isn’t super thin yet. But he does bleed pretty easy, and has actually had to have the tip of his finger cauterized to stop the bleeding before. eta: I read good things about Bleed Stop so we ordered some, but haven’t needed to use it yet. Just to give you other options. Some Cohesive Gauze wrap like they use when they draw blood should help hold it in place. This is light skin colored to draw less attention, but depending on his personality he might enjoy the bright colors. I always like it when I get purple! |
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Post by calgaryscrapper on Dec 21, 2023 23:46:30 GMT
Perhaps talk to another doctor for a second opinion. Try placing one of those pads for children under his sheets to help make clean up easier. Would he feel ok trying a walker to help keep him from falling? In Alberta you can get a discount on them through healthcare. If there are any loose rugs on the floor such as in front of the sink consider removing them (tripping hazard). A friends family did that at her house. Do you have a free healthcare hotline that you could call a nurse for advice?
I just Googled for info and found this:
Elevate the cut so that it is above your heart. wound and stop the bleeding.
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Post by dewryce on Dec 21, 2023 23:49:00 GMT
I second the idea of a walker, if his therapist thinks it will help with his particular issues. When my Grandad actually used his it helped him immensely.
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Dec 21, 2023 23:52:39 GMT
I am not on blood thinners. I do cut myself periodically. I have bandaids in the kitchen as well as the bathroom.
I have done what have described. Pressure is needed immediately. Truthfully I fold a well padded paper towel and then tape, bandaid or wrap whichever will cover the area. Unless you use a bunch of gauze pads they are not thick enough.
Sterile, no, but stopping the bleed is more important.
I sliced my thumb the Monday night before Thanksgiving. On the pad from the nail down 5/8-3/4" down. Deep, it was after midnight. Either I stopped it or would have to call for help.
Held the folded paper towel for a while, it was oozing I put a new pad of paper towel on, put bandaids over the top and down. Then a third around. It held and I went to bed. Of course I kept it dry all along, medical gloves for washing dishes etc. it has visibly healed but is still very tender. Again it was deep. As it healed I used glue, just like surgical glue. You can also use steri-strips with glue. At the moment I think I have LikTite glue.
On the arm you can do the same thing initially only bigger cover with a wrap around.
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Post by dewryce on Dec 21, 2023 23:55:58 GMT
I am not on blood thinners. I do cut myself periodically. I have bandaids in the kitchen as well as the bathroom. I have done what have described. Pressure is needed immediately. Truthfully fold a well padded paper towel and then tape, bandaid or wrap whichever will cover the area. Unless you use a bunch of gauze pads they are not thick enough. Sterile, no, but stopping the bleed is more important. I sliced my thumb the Monday night before Thanksgiving. On the pad from the nail dow 5/8-3/4" down. Deep, it was after midnight. Either I stopped it or would have to call for help. Held the folded paper towel for a while, it was oozing I put a new pad of paper towel on, put bandaids over the top and down. Then a third around. It held and I went to bed. Of course I kept it dry all along, medical gloves for washing dishes etc. it has visibly healed but is still very tender. Again it was deep. As it healed I used glue, just like surgical glue. You can also use steri-strips with glue. At the moment I think I have LikTite glue. On the arm you can do the same thing initially only bigger cover with a wrap around. A slice is one thing, but it sounds like his skin is rolling and created pretty large open wounds. Respectfully, I think paper towels directly over a decent sized open wound is a bad idea, it will attach itself as it dries and open up the wound and bleed again when he takes it off. And on blood thinners it will have to be covered for a while before the bleeding stops, it’s not like you or I where we can hold it for 5 minutes and then remove the paper towel. |
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maryannscraps
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Posts: 4,731
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Dec 22, 2023 0:27:42 GMT
That sounds serious. Can his doctor have an order for a visiting nurse to care for the wounds in his home? That’s a large open wound, and should be treated. Also an occupational/physical therapist to evaluate his fall risk and possibly order him a walker or cane and show him how to use it properly.
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Post by dewryce on Dec 22, 2023 0:45:22 GMT
That sounds serious. Can his doctor have an order for a visiting nurse to care for the wounds in his home? That’s a large open wound, and should be treated. Also an occupational/physical therapist to evaluate his fall risk and possibly order him a walker or cane and show him how to use it properly. I agree. First thing they will likely tell you is to get rid of any rugs. There’s a reason we only have one in our home. DH is an OT and I’m super clumsy 🤣🤣🤣 |
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Post by KiwiJo on Dec 22, 2023 2:14:20 GMT
I too agree with the thing about addressing the falls. Even without the bleeding issue, falls can be very serious indeed. Life-threatening in the very elderly, even falls that would have been brushed off without a second thought earlier in life. Is there a reason he doesn’t use a walker? Maybe he doesn’t think he needs one, or they are difficult for him to manage, or it just hasn’t been considered up to now? There’s an enormous range to suit every requirement or situation, and to fit almost any budget.
The bleeding issue is separate, but is also vitally important isn’t it. I can’t make any suggestions for that because I know nothing about the products available where you are.
For people saying to apply pressure - it’s not that simple. These aren’t small puncture wounds, and unless you’ve been with someone with that very thin skin, it’s very difficult to imagine what the wounds are like.
But doing all you can to stop what wounds you can before they happen is terribly important - otherwise he risks running out skin. Ok, that’s an exaggeration, but you sure as heck don’t want him knocking areas that haven’t completely healed, and setting them back. Healing takes longer for these wounds anyway, and the risk of infection is high. Infection too, can be life-threatening..
I’m sorry for sounding alarmist, but both the falls and the bleeding/torn-skin issues need to be addressed. I wonder if a consult with an occupational therapist might help with falls, as well as with knocking himself on other objects? Stopping some of those would have the double benefit is stopping some of the bleeding.
Oh, I see someone else already suggested an OT - consider the suggestion seconded.
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Post by Zee on Dec 22, 2023 2:34:31 GMT
In fragile elderly people on thinners due to A fib, they can sometimes do a left atrial appendage procedure by implanting an Amulet device (there are others too, that's just the brand name of one) that eliminates the need for thinners.
With all those skin tears and falls, he'd be a good candidate to at least ask the doctor about as long as there aren't other risk factors I don't know about or some other need for the thinners.
The procedure is usually very quick, done as outpatient in the Cath Lab, sometimes home the same day and sometimes home next day as long as there are no complications (complications are very rare with this!).
He would have to have a cardiologist visit so if he doesn't already have one, he should ask for a consult if the above scenario fits.
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Post by birdy on Dec 22, 2023 3:20:12 GMT
Styptik stick is what my husband uses. It also sounds like he is not putting enough pressure on the wound or isn’t applying the pressure long enough. He or my mom holds pressure on it. The problem is, any of his wounds will bleed for hours the first day and then on and off for about 2 more days... despite holding pressure for a long time!!! |
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Post by birdy on Dec 22, 2023 3:21:17 GMT
This sounds disturbing. I get the need of blood thinners to help with stroke prevention, but the response from the doctor was very inadequate. Do you know what dosage of thinner he is on? I would think maybe they could tone it down a wee bit and give him some very helpful advice on how to deal with all his booboos! Bless his heart. {{{Hugs}}} I don't know the dosage, but I do know they reduced it 2x already. He's on the lowest dose that is still safe to prevent strokes. |
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Post by birdy on Dec 22, 2023 3:22:55 GMT
We keep these Quick Clot Gauze Pads everywhere. Upstairs, downstairs, purse, car, travel first aid packs, etc. DH says they really help. They’re expensive so we got them every month through subscribe & save. For his nose bleeds, he just started using Nampons and much prefers them to endless TP. He’s 52, so his skin isn’t super thin yet. But he does bleed pretty easy, and has actually had to have the tip of his finger cauterized to stop the bleeding before. eta: I read good things about Bleed Stop so we ordered some, but haven’t needed to use it yet. Just to give you other options. Some Cohesive Gauze wrap like they use when they draw blood should help hold it in place. This is light skin colored to draw less attention, but depending on his personality he might enjoy the bright colors. I always like it when I get purple! My mom bought the bleed stop. It doesn't do anything for him. I'm going to mention the quick clot gauze pads and cohesive gauze wrap to her though. Thanks for the suggestion!! |
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Post by birdy on Dec 22, 2023 3:28:24 GMT
That sounds serious. Can his doctor have an order for a visiting nurse to care for the wounds in his home? That’s a large open wound, and should be treated. Also an occupational/physical therapist to evaluate his fall risk and possibly order him a walker or cane and show him how to use it properly. He uses a cane already and does know how to use a walker due to having both knees replaced! He was diagnosed with a neurological condition and the falling is a part of it, unfortunately. He was just standing today, not walking around or anything and fell. He has terrible balance and muscle weakness due to this neurological condition. They've been doing some type of infusion every 4 weeks which helps a bit but isn't a cure. They're moving him to every 3 weeks and upping the dose of the infusion. Some days he can't even open a bottle of water. It's really sad. He used to be a construction worker, walking steel beams, carrying really heavy stuff, etc. It's hard to see him like this. He's also diabetic and has lost 3.5 toes, so that's not helping with the balance any either. He's had a major infection in his big toe since March and they've been treating it, so he had to stop physical therapy. |
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cantea
Shy Member
Posts: 20
Oct 9, 2023 1:39:23 GMT
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Post by cantea on Dec 22, 2023 3:46:56 GMT
I am on blood thinners for life. It takes pressure to stop the bleeding but this sounds excessive. Is it possible that his dosage is too high?
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Post by dewryce on Dec 22, 2023 6:12:32 GMT
We keep these Quick Clot Gauze Pads everywhere. Upstairs, downstairs, purse, car, travel first aid packs, etc. DH says they really help. They’re expensive so we got them every month through subscribe & save. For his nose bleeds, he just started using Nampons and much prefers them to endless TP. He’s 52, so his skin isn’t super thin yet. But he does bleed pretty easy, and has actually had to have the tip of his finger cauterized to stop the bleeding before. eta: I read good things about Bleed Stop so we ordered some, but haven’t needed to use it yet. Just to give you other options. Some Cohesive Gauze wrap like they use when they draw blood should help hold it in place. This is light skin colored to draw less attention, but depending on his personality he might enjoy the bright colors. I always like it when I get purple! My mom bought the bleed stop. It doesn't do anything for him. I'm going to mention the quick clot gauze pads and cohesive gauze wrap to her though. Thanks for the suggestion!! Oh, I thought it was Quick Stop? You’re welcome, hope it helps him! |
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Post by dewryce on Dec 22, 2023 6:21:15 GMT
At the skilled nursing facility DH works in he said they have patients with thin skin that tears easily wear geri sleeves on their arms and legs. And another poster brought up a good point, there is a bigger issue with falling than open wounds. If he hits his head hard enough, especially on blood thinners, that is life threatening. DH has been told to go in each time he hits his head hard because he needs imaging to check for a brain bleed. Fortunately, and I’m not joking, he has a very thick skull.  Had to have it measured for a treatment he had (TMS) and they commented on how thick it was. I could have told you that without the tests! So, we’ve paid for lots of MRIs but are very fortunate in that he’s always been okay. Anyway, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I know it must be devastating watching a man who’s always had such strength age like this. |
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Post by lisae on Dec 22, 2023 13:19:21 GMT
We had this problem with my dad even after he was no longer on blood thinners. We improved the situation by using non-stick gauze pads over the wounds and then wrapping with rolled gauze and adhering that with a small amount of tape only touching the gauze. Avoid bandaids. You want to keep anything sticky off his skin because you'll just have more bleeding when it is removed. Because Daddy also had a catheter, we had to use the large pads on the bed and his chair (which he hated) but it helped with the blood too. However, my mother spent a lot of time cleaning blood out of the carpet. It is unfortunately something you go through.
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Post by lisae on Dec 22, 2023 13:22:33 GMT
there is a bigger issue with falling than open wounds. If he hits his head hard enough, especially on blood thinners, that is life threatening. And I went through that one with Mother, twice. The brain shrinks with age so that makes these falls more dangerous. Getting old is walking a minefield. |
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craftymom101
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Posts: 3,633
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Post by craftymom101 on Dec 22, 2023 14:22:51 GMT
My MIL has the same type of skin and is prone to accidents. My husband is a paramedic, and he keeps 4x4 gauze pads and CoFlex at our house and her house to stop any bleeding. He cleans the wound(s) with alcohol, layers the 4x4 gauze pads over the wound, and uses CoFlex to keep the pads in place; replacing as needed. So far, she hasn't required more than that to control her bleeding. I'm not sure if that will work for your dad?
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zella
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Posts: 3,884
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Post by zella on Dec 22, 2023 16:37:00 GMT
Couldn't see in looking over this, is he on coumadin/warfarin or one of the newer anti clotting drugs? Problem with newer ones is you can't know if your blood level of the drug is too high, even if they say he's on the lowest dose. Good thing with coumadin is you can check blood level with a fingerstick, and he should qualify for one at home. Then work to keep it really at lowest dose possible.
Falling. I agree that an OT and maybe PT visit would be helpful. Get a fresh pair of eyes on things.
My best advice with the skin shears, which I think is what they are, is cover with a non-stick gauze pad, then keep in place with coban or self sticking bandage. Also every inch possible needs to be clothed, no rough fabrics. I'd suggest elbow pads, possibly knee pads too. He really needs homecare nursing visits to evaluate all of this and he's a candidate for pressure ulcers. I can't believe the dr didn't order homecare.
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Post by Patter on Dec 22, 2023 17:58:23 GMT
Just asked my daughter for you--she is a doctor (surgery resident). Here is how she dresses those types of wounds. She said to do the following: 1. Adaptic first (I will link below) 2. A couple of 4x4s to give a bit of padding. 3. Wrap in Kerlix 4. Lastly wrap with ace bandage She said their skin is literally tissue paper. She also agreed with wearing sleeves. Hope this helps. Adaptic |
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