Pressure Ulcer Prevention Awareness

This course is for care-home and home-care workers supporting adults who may be at risk of pressure damage. It covers changes in skin and comfort, following assessed prevention and movement plans, equipment concerns, food and fluid support, records and escalation. Fictional situations help learners decide what to observe, report and clarify. It does not teach wound diagnosis, ulcer staging, treatment, skin-testing or practical moving and handling.

Study online at your own pace using eight teaching modules, fictional written practice and a separate final knowledge assessment. Estimated total structured learning: 2 hours 38 minutes. This is a planning estimate; individual study time varies.

Module 1 — Pressure Damage and Risk Awareness

This module develops awareness of pressure damage and risk awareness, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Explain pressure-damage risks in everyday care.
✓ Identify relevant risks and observations in a fictional care brief without diagnosing.

Workplace example: Arthur has reduced mobility, is spending longer in his chair and reports new discomfort. The brief supplies no diagnosis or ulcer category.

Application: Identify observations and individual risk context to report. Follow the assessed prevention plan and seek appropriate review rather than using a clinical score or assigning an ulcer stage.

Module 2 — Recognising Changes in Skin and Comfort

This module develops awareness of recognising changes in skin and comfort, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Recognise changes in skin appearance or comfort to report.
✓ Explain consent, privacy and role boundaries during authorised observations.

Workplace example: During authorised routine care, a person reports new heel discomfort and a change from their usual skin appearance is noticed. Consent and privacy remain important.

Application: Describe the change and the person’s words, then report promptly. Absence of obvious redness does not establish safety; do not perform pressure tests or a diagnostic examination.

Module 3 — Individual Risk and Prevention Plans

This module develops awareness of individual risk and prevention plans, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Follow an individually assessed prevention plan.
✓ Identify missing instructions and request appropriate clarification.

Workplace example: An individual prevention plan is missing the agreed position-change instructions. A colleague proposes applying the same fixed schedule to everyone.

Application: Identify the missing authorised instructions and who should clarify them. Do not invent a universal schedule or remove position-change support without appropriate review.

Module 4 — Position Changes and Mobility Support

This module develops awareness of position changes and mobility support, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Recognise when planned movement support cannot be delivered safely.
✓ Explain how to seek trained help and report unmet support needs.

Workplace example: A person’s assessed support plan requires two trained workers for a particular movement. Only one worker is available at the planned time.

Application: Seek appropriate trained assistance, report unmet support and maintain safe care within the individual arrangements. Do not improvise the movement or treat the staffing requirement as universal for everyone.

Module 5 — Equipment, Skin Care and Daily Support

This module develops awareness of equipment, skin care and daily support, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Recognise observable equipment and daily skin-care concerns.
✓ Distinguish plan-led support from unauthorised settings, repairs or treatment.

Workplace example: A pressure-relieving device has an observable fault and the worker is unsure whether its settings are authorised.

Application: Report the actual equipment concern and obtain appropriate assistance. Do not invent repairs, settings or treatment, and do not assume equipment removes other planned support needs.

Module 6 — Nutrition, Hydration and Recording

This module develops awareness of nutrition, hydration and recording, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Follow plan-led nutrition and hydration support.
✓ Write factual records of support, observations and escalation using supplied facts.

Workplace example: A person’s intake has reduced and their plan includes an individual fluid restriction. The brief supplies no replacement clinical instruction.

Application: Record known intake and changes, follow authorised arrangements and seek appropriate advice. Generic hydration encouragement must not override the individual restriction.

Module 7 — Escalation and Safeguarding Concerns

This module develops awareness of escalation and safeguarding concerns, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Distinguish clinical advice, incident reporting and safeguarding concerns.
✓ Choose appropriate help and escalation without diagnosing or calculating a clinical safeguarding score.

Workplace example: Planned prevention support has repeatedly not been delivered and there are new skin or comfort concerns. The reasons and any safeguarding conclusion are unknown.

Application: Arrange appropriate clinical advice and report actual omissions through incident and safeguarding pathways as applicable. Do not diagnose neglect, calculate a safeguarding score or wait to prove harm before reporting a concern.

Module 8 — Prevention Scenarios and Reflection

This module develops awareness of prevention scenarios and reflection, using factual information and the person’s current individual arrangements to explain decisions within the care-worker role.

By the end of this Module, learners will be able to:

✓ Choose a personalised prevention response in fictional care-home and home-care scenarios.
✓ Explain consent, plan-led action, recording and follow-up.

Workplace example: Edith declines a planned position change and says it hurts. A colleague suggests recording the task as completed to keep the chart tidy.

Application: Respect the response, communicate accessibly and obtain appropriate review and support. Record refusal, discomfort, actual actions and follow-up; do not use force, assume incapacity or invent delivered care.