03/12/2026
MOBILE will create content to educate individuals with a disability, family, friends and the community on living independently with a disability. Lessons will vary.
First LESSON
SKIN CARE & DISABILITY PRESSURE Wound Care
(Because pressure wounds don’t care about your feelings — they will destroy your life if you ignore them.)
WHY SKIN CARE MATTERS: THE PART NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT
When you live with a disability — spinal cord injury, paralysis, limited mobility, chronic illness, or anything that affects sensation or movement your skin becomes one of the most vulnerable organs you have.
And when skin breaks down
It doesn’t start cute.
It doesn’t stay small.
It doesn’t heal fast.
Pressure wounds can literally go from a red spot to a hole down to the bone.
Not metaphorically.
Not exaggerated.
Bone. Deep.
And once you’re in Stage 3 or Stage 4 territory, you’re not dealing with “self‑care” anymore — you’re dealing with medical emergencies, infections, hospitalizations, and sometimes surgery.
WHAT PRESSURE WOUNDS REALLY ARE
A pressure wound happens when:
• You sit too long
• You lie too long
• Your skin rubs
• Your skin stays moist
• Your clothes wrinkle
• Your cushion is wrong
• You can’t feel pain
• You can’t shift weight
Blood flow gets cut off.
Skin cells die.
The tissue underneath dies.
Then the hole gets deeper.
Stage 4 wounds can expose fat, muscle, tendon, and bone.
This is why people with spinal cord injuries, paralysis, or limited mobility are at the highest risk.
THE PART THAT’S EVEN WORSE: INFECTION
Once the skin breaks open, bacteria walk right in.
Untreated pressure wounds can lead to:
• Cellulitis
• Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• Sepsis — a life‑threatening infection
People have died from pressure wounds.
People have lost limbs.
People have spent months in the hospital.
This is why skin care is not optional.
FLAP SURGERY: THE LAST RESORT (AND IT’S NOT PRETTY)
If a wound gets too deep, too wide, or too infected, doctors may recommend flap surgery.
Flap surgery means:
• They cut out the dead tissue
• They take a chunk of muscle, fat, and skin from another part of your body
• They move it to cover the wound
• They sew it in place
This is major surgery.
It requires strict bed rest afterward — sometimes weeks without sitting.
And even then, the flap can fail.
Complications are common.
Recurrence is common.
This is why prevention is everything.
HOW TO PREVENT PRESSURE WOUNDS (THE UNGLAMOROUS DAILY WORK)
1. Check your skin every single day
Especially:
• Buttocks
• Tailbone
• Hips
• Heels
• Ankles
• Elbows
• Shoulders
If you can’t see it, someone else needs to.
2. Shift your weight
• Every 15–20 minutes in a wheelchair
• Every 1–2 hours in bed
If you can’t shift yourself, someone must help you.
3. Use the right surfaces
• Gel or foam wheelchair cushions
• Pressure‑relieving mattresses
• No donut cushions (they make it worse)
4. Keep skin clean and dry
Moisture = breakdown.
Breakdown = wounds.
Wounds = infection.
Use:
• Mild soap
• Moisture barrier creams
• Soft cloths
medlineplus.gov
5. Fix the small things before they become big things
Redness that doesn’t go away
Warm spot
Hard spot
Soft spot
Blister
That’s a Stage 1 or Stage 2 wound trying to happen.
Treat it immediately. If you have any of these signs get treatment NOW!
Find information on health conditions, wellness issues, and more in easy-to-read language on MedlinePlus, the up-to-date, trusted health information site from the NIH and the National Library of Medicine.
