The relationship between pressure ulcers and palliative care patient caregivers’ knowledge levels

Introduction: The need for care and palliative care increased with the prolongation of mean life expectancy. One of the most frequently observed symptoms in palliative care is pressure ulcers. We aimed to measure the knowledge levels of caregivers serving hospitalized patients in the palliative care service and to investigate their relationship with socio-demographic characteristics, especially the knowledge levels.Methods: This study enrolled 109 people providing care to patients who received inpatient palliative care between November 1 and December 31, 2018. A questionnaire including questions about socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge about pressure ulcers was administered. The pressure ulcer status of the patients was evaluated by a physician. Results: The mean age of the caregivers was 49.49 ± 10.91 years (22-69). The mean knowledge level of the participants was 70.09 ± 18.58%. The minimum score was 0, and the maximum score was 100. It was found that 62.4% of the caregivers received information about pressure ulcers in the past, 30.3% of them didn’t receive any information about pressure ulcers, and 7.3% received partial information.Conclusion: The knowledge level of the caregivers who were informed about pressure ulcers was significantly higher than those who were not informed (p=0.005). Therefore, we think that continuous education has an essential place in preventing pressure ulcers.