Risk Assessment

An assessment is fundamentally about making a judgement upon which a decision can be made. As such, an assessment is a key component in pressure area care and pressure ulcer prevention. Without an assessment, no plan of care can be decided or delivered. It is therefore important to think about how the assessment process can be harnessed for the benefit of the assessor, and ultimately for the person being assessed to minimize pressure ulcer risk.

Risk Assessment - What can we do to ensure it happens?

• Improve processes to ensure that risk assessment and skin inspection are conducted within six hours of admission for all patients/clients, and there after on a continual basis which is appropriate to an individual’s need.
• Agree on the use of a standard risk assessment tool.
• Utilise methods which your team/colleagues understand to alert or visually cue them as to which patients/clients are at risk.  For example, consider using stickers in the patient/client’s chart or on the patient/client’s door so that all who are involved in their care will realize the patient/client is at risk of pressure ulcer development. This allows for quick identification of patients/clients at risk, and prompt implementation of prevention strategies.