For some elderly people, particularly those who have issues with mobility, there can be a high risk of developing pressure sores on their buttocks. These are caused by somebody sitting down in the same spot for too long, without moving over or standing up.
This painful outcome can be difficult for some elderly people to avoid, particularly if they’re in a wheelchair. However, the pressure sores can sometimes turn out to be dangerous to the person’s health.
A good way to slow the development and relieve the pain is to invest in pressure relief cushions, which should help make the person’s sitting a lot more comfortable and soother. But what are the best cushions for pressure sores on buttocks?
Well, we’ve got the answers for you! In our guide below, you’ll find lots of information on pressure sores, including what they are and how they come to be.
On top of that, we have a list of the best cushions you can get to relieve them, with detailed descriptions of the benefits and flaws of each. Read on!
What Is A Pressure Sore?
As we’ve touched on, these are injuries that develop on skin that has had prolonged pressure placed on it. Also classified as ulcers, they can cause a lot of pain to those that have them, and can even be dangerous in some cases.
Why Do They Develop On The Buttocks?
They can develop in lots of places on the body, it all depends on where the pressure is being applied. However, they often occur on the buttocks because there are many people who spend, or have to spend, a lot of time sitting in one location without moving.
This can be the case for a lot of elderly people, whether they’re sitting in assisted living facilities or in a wheelchair. In fact, wheelchair users are one of the most likely groups of people to develop pressure sores on their buttocks.
This is because a lot of their body weight is constantly being placed on their buttocks and tailbone, because they’re constantly having to be in a sitting position. These two areas are where the sores frequently occur.
How does it do that? Well, the ceaseless pressure on that lower skin cuts off blood flow from getting to the buttocks, and this prompts the skin and its underlying tissue to be hurt.
The sores appear as exactly that, sore-looking red areas or patches of discoloration. They can be very uncomfortable for the person, especially if they’re continuing to rest on the areas and apply pressure. However, it can also cause serious damage.
Elderly people are especially prone to developing them because their skin is more easily damaged, due to illness factors like dehydration. Therefore it is essential that you seek help and use methods to ease the prolonged pressure, before serious damage is done.
How Do Pressure Relief Cushions Stop The Sores?
One of these methods can be by using pressure relief cushions. These care aids are especially designed to distribute the weight of the person’s body who’s sitting on them, which should eliminate the build up of too much pressure on any one place.
This is different from regular cushions you might have, which don’t spread the weight, and therefore create key zones of prolonged pressure if you sit for too long without moving.
However, it must be noted that pressure relief cushions need to be specialized for you.
You will need to pick one based on your own risk of developing pressure sores, because there are a variety of different types: ones for low, medium, and high risks of the person getting damaged by pressure.
The Best Cushions For Pressure Sores On Buttocks
You now know all about what causes the build up of pressure sores, and that they should be stopped before serious damage occurs.
In the list below, you’ll find our choices of the best pressure relief cushions available on the market, along with descriptions of their many qualities and benefits.
McKesson Foam/Gel Seat Cushion
[amazon fields=”B07ZJXKQWY” value=”thumb” image_align=”center” image_size=”large”]
This ergonomic cushion is perfect for wheelchair use, and should help the user a great deal in preventing and treating their pressure sores. It can help users that weigh anything up to 275 pounds.
You can get it in one of two sizes, either 2 inches or 3 inches, offering you the chance to get one that is more precisely molded to your needs. Make sure you know your seat size first, though.
Speaking of molding, the cushion is specially designed with a molded polyurethane foam for maximum comfort and ease. This foam is extremely high density, meaning that there’s plenty of padding, giving the user an incredibly soft sitting position.
The foam is positioned around an interior gel bladder, which adds to the softness and support even more.
That all combines to create a seat that is built for ideal pressure distribution, making sure that no one part of the body and buttocks is ever sitting stationary in one rough position for any prolonged amount of time.
On top of that, extra comfort is added by the fact that the seat is heat-absorbent.
This is down to the gel bladder, which is the heat-absorbent part, and specially helps to control the user’s body temperature – keeping it from getting too hot, or getting too cold, leaving them just right in the middle.
Additionally, the cushion and its gel bladder helps to lessen perspiration too, meaning that the person won’t be stuck sitting in an uncomfortable and wet spot.
With that being said, the seat is waterproof too, just in case. This is down to the cushion’s stretch low-shear, stretch nylon covering, and won’t be ruined by incontinence or spills.
If there ever are any, the covering can be easily unzipped and thrown in the washing machine. Additionally, the bottom of the breathable cover is specially made to have added resistance to skid, meaning that it shouldn’t slide around and startle the user.
It’s very easy to install too! You can put it on the wheelchair and hook and strap it securely into place, fastening it with a buckle. This makes it easy to put on in a hurry, but also to remove for whatever reason – like taking off the cover to wash it.
Pros
- Enhanced pressure redistribution
- Waterproof and heat-absorbent
- Easy to install
- Easy to wash the cover
Cons
- Could be firmer
[amazon box=”B07ZJXKQWY”]
Skwoosh Auto Car Gel Seat Cushion
[amazon fields=”B00IRFVAUE” value=”thumb” image_align=”center” image_size=”large”]
This is going to be a great choice for people who are going to be sitting in cars for prolonged periods of time, and need to have their risk of pressure sores reduced or curbed on their journey.
Coming in at a height of 1 inch, it doesn’t interfere with most car seats, and shouldn’t affect height or leg angle. In fact, if it’s being used in the driver’s seat, then it’s deliberately designed so that the cushion flares out to match the normal positions that legs will fall in when driving.
Pressure relief within the seat is helped by the inclusion of four separate gel packs, just like the previous seat we mentioned had a large gel bladder inside it.
These packs are deliberately positioned in special places, lining up with where the sitting bones and upper thighs of the user should be positioned. This will help to ease the pressure that’s acting on those areas, and help blood circulation too.
Additionally, the gel packs help to push the knees softly outside the hip line, which should help the user’s legs to move while driving.
The seat also has Coccyx-Ease design, which should help lessen pressure on the user’s spine when tilting forward. It’s also a low maintenance seat, without any bulky covers or inflation levels to take up extra space or worry about.
The four gel packs aren’t hard gel, either, so they and the seat aren’t unnecessarily heavy either. This makes the seat even easier to carry and install in the car.
Additionally, the seat has a bottom with non-skid materials, meaning that the driver shouldn’t be sliding around while driving.
On top of that, the seat is waterproof and easily washable. This way, if there are any spillages or incontinence, then the seat shouldn’t be ruined, and should be able to be washed clean of all messes.
It has a breathable mesh top fabric that has air specially channeled through it, which should keep the user comfortable and cool as well.
Pros
- Interior gel packs reduce pressure
- Breathable material
- Foldable design to fit different types of seat
- Waterproof and easily washable
Cons
- Made for car use, so probably not most effective in the home
- Not as much support as thicker cushions
- May noy be big enough for larger users
[amazon box=”B00IRFVAUE”]
Medline EquaGel Contour Plus Cushion
[amazon fields=”B00OMFVLCU” value=”thumb” image_align=”center” image_size=”large”]
This pressure cushion from Medline should be a good choice for helping to prevent the build up of pressure sores and ulcers.
At 2.5 inches in thickness, it should offer plenty of thickness and padding, without being too big that the user becomes overly-elevated or unstable.
If it’s too much, however, you can buy the standard model (this is the Plus model that we’re talking about), which has a thickness of 2 inches. It’s a small difference, but could suit some customers a lot better, especially if they haven’t got too much room for the cushion.
The seat has an impressive grid structure that both offers great, soft comfort, but also good support. This is because it continually adjusts to the movement of the person sitting in it. On top of this, different areas of the seat have different qualities.
The front of the seat helps with getting the best positions for the user’s hips and legs, which are important if you’re sitting still for a prolonged period of time.
On the other hand, the back section of the seat has precision contours, which help to provide relief to the coccyx (which is the bone structure at the bottom of your vertebral column), as well as helping the user to remain stable and firm.
As for the seat and its contents itself, it contains EquaGel cushions. These combine advanced levels of pressure redistribution technology with great levels of comfort.
We’ve mentioned in the previous two listings that pressure cushions can use gel pads inside them, and this is what this one uses too.
The EquaGel cushions reduce the user’s peak pressures by up to around 41% compared to regular foam cushions, giving a noticeable improvement in reducing the amount of pressure going onto the body and the buttocks.
How do they do this? Well, these EquaGel cushions redistribute the pressure by using a dual-layer structure and Micro-Immersion technology. This is used for many benefits.
For one, they help to cradle the areas where the user’s bones are sitting on the cushion, easing up the pressure that’s being put on those vulnerable areas. They also help to reduce friction on your skin, with their all-way stretch coveroing.
On top of that, they also reduce moisture and heat through using an open-cell, breathable design, as well as cooling gel.
Pros
- Good thickness
- Coccyx relief
- EquaGel cushions redistribute pressure, as well as reducing peak pressures
- Reduce moisture and heat
Cons
- Isn’t always the best fit for a wheelchair seat
[amazon box=”B00OMFVLCU”]
ROHO LTV Air Cell Cushion
[amazon fields=”B000OXDJ1U” value=”thumb” image_align=”center” image_size=”large”]
This pressure cushion from ROHO is a great choice for users wanting extreme comfort out of their seating, which is essential if they’re sitting in one position for prolonged periods of each day.
This model of seat contains special technology that allows the cushion to mold, in a sense, to the shape of the person using it, fitting their buttocks and body. It contours it and its padding to move around the user’s bones and shape, fitting them comfortably, as if they were a glove.
How does it do this, though? Well, inside there are a series of air chambers that alter the amounts of air between many cells, causing the seat to shift its shape and inflation. By doing this, it can fit itself around the user with as much shape as it needs.
If any spillages occur, or whether the user suffers something like incontinence, then the cover can be removed from the cushion and cleaned. As for the cover, the cushion is available in only one size, but you can get a cover made out of either Ultra Leather or Quilted Fabric.
The fabric variety can be put into the washing machine, but make sure to use a gentle washing machine cycle, though, to protect its materials.
Unfortunately, the leather cover cannot be washed in a washing machine – do not try, or you will ruin it! However, you can still wipe it down or wash it by hand, just be sure to be gentle.
The thickness of the cushion can be adjusted, because the cushion inflates via an included pump. By using a small twist valve on it, you can alternate the cushions thickness between 1 inch thick or 2 inches. This level of adjustment is hand, allowing the user to make it exactly as thick as they want.
Whatever thickness, though, the cushion is still lightweight and easy to move. On top of that, it is foldable, to easily be put away, and can be carried around with the handle that is attached to it.
Pros
- Air chambers mold the cushion to the shape of the user
- Adjustable thickness levels
- Can be used for many different seat types
- Choice of cover materials
- Cover can be removed and cleaned – just be careful depending on the material
Cons
- People who have a moderate or high risk of their skin breaking down have reported that it doesn’t always provide enough pressure relief
[amazon box=”B000OXDJ1U”]
Everlasting Comfort Gel Memory Foam Wheelchair Seat Cushion
[amazon fields=”B07LB8TRL3″ value=”thumb” image_align=”center” image_size=”large”]
This cushion is made especially for wheelchair use, and offers great support.
It has gel infused memory foam that helps to retain its shape, as well as distributing its weight to give you properly balanced support. It supports your buttocks, coccyx, and lower back, reducing the pressure that is being put on each.
Additionally, the seat uses your body heat to adjust and cradle your back, providing support when it’s needed. On top of this, it has a ventilated design. There are specially placed holes in the cushion that help it to vent out heat from extended sitting, which will keep you cooler as you sit in it.
It should fit any wheelchair, the cushion measuring 18x17x3 inches, but also works for other chairs.
Pros
- Supports buttocks, coccyx, lower back
- Heat responsive
- Retains its shape
- Ventilated design helps you keep cool
[amazon box=”B07LB8TRL3″]
Final Thoughts
Edlerly people and/or wheelchair users are vulnerable to developing high-risk pressure sores. Pressure relief cushions can help this, and our guide should have told you some of the best to buy.
