Call your First Aider in the home in the first instance and KNOW YOUR RESIDENT

For Cuts For Abrasions For Bruises

Assess Skin: if minor skin cut, abrasion or bruise, this can be treated at home by Carers ,follow arrows below

 Allow the cut to bleed freely for several  Cleanse the abrasion gently and thoroughly  Although painful and sometimes unsightly, seconds to help clean it out with tepid slow running tap water or use of they are not generally serious  Cleanse the cut by rinsing under tepid slow a clean jug to pour over abrasion(Do not  Rest a bruise to allow blood to clot more running tap water or use a clean jug to pour rub) rapidly water over cut.  Leave abrasion uncovered unless exposure  Elevate bruised area to reduce swelling  Press a clean gauze pad over the cut for 5- will lead to more contamination (speak to a  Avoid vigorous exercise for 24 to 48 hours if 10 minutes,till bleeding stops nurse in home or District Nurses for advice a bruise is severe  Carefully elevate limb to help slow bleeding on type of dressing if required)  Seek advice from nurses or community and reduce any swelling(be careful if  Allow scabs to form and do not pick them nurses on guidance of using ice packs resident has had a stroke,arthritis,fracture off or has alzheimers)  Elevate limb to reduce any swelling  Check to see if bleeding has stopped  Seek advice from nurses or community  Apply a non-stick dressing and bandage as nurses on guidance of using ice packs appropriate  If bleeding continues, reapply pressure/dressings and speak to a professional for advice.

NOTE:Is your resident on Warfarin or other blood thinning agents as they will bruise and bleed more easily?

NOTE:Record how these injuries happened, what you did and consider – do these injuries need reporting to Adult protection?

Call for assistance from the professional s below, if the residents injury falls into the following boxes : 1. Nurse in charge or Manager 2. Review by Community Nurses 3. Review by GP

Cuts Abrasions Bruises  Continues to bleed after releasing  The abrasion is very dirty or messy  The bruise is accompanied by persistent pain pressure on cut and elevation, re-padding  A nurse will need to clean it thoroughly, or a headache of bandages especially if it contains gravel or other  The bruise is associated with a joint injury  Person complains of numbness or tingling foreign material. such as wrist,shoulder,hip,ankle,foot in area  A thorough cleaning is necessary to reduce  The bruise appears in abdominal area and is  Cut is made by a sharp object that may the risk of scarring/to reduce and increase accompanied by vomiting or abdominal pain have rust or dirt on it in pain (this could be due to an internal injury)  A foreign object is embedded inside the  Concerns abrasion may have become  Black eye appears following a head injury cut infected (this will take about 24 hours,  Spontaneous bruising appears while the  Can observe what looks like fat (white look for signs such as redness, tenderness, resident is taking warfarin ,globular,jelly) gaping at the edges pus, swelling, warm skin, or a fever)  The resident has haemophilia so more likely to  Concerns’ regarding scarring as the cut is  If abrasion doesn’t heal in two weeks bruise significantly on the face or any other part of the body  Bruise appears often and multiplies within a  Concerns cut may have become infected short period of time for no reason (this will take about 24 hours, look for  Bruise does not decrease in size or colouring signs such as redness, tenderness, pus, over 1-2 weeks(the bruise colour and swelling, warm skin, or a fever) swelling should be gone)  When was the resident’s last tetanus  The bruise becomes infected ((this will take injection? >10 years = review about 24 hours, look for signs such as redness, tenderness, pus, swelling, warm skin, or a fever)

When to call for Emergency 999 help?

Cuts Abrasions Bruises Deep cut, damaging major blood vessels, The abrasion is the result of a serious  Loss of memory tendons injury or accident  Nausea/vomiting  Bleeding heavily or does not stop  Resident shows signs of going faint,  Change in vision (blurring, double) after applying pressure for 10 clammy to touch, unresponsive  Unsteady on walking, not previously minutes or more known to be  If it is a large wound and patient is  Resident shows signs of going faint, on Warfarin clammy to touch, unresponsive  Resident shows signs of going faint, clammy to touch unresponsive.

Final version January 2013 NHS SW CCG