For the people who care for them, whether in a hospice facility or at home, the goal is not just to manage illness but to protect dignity, reduce pain, and create the conditions for peace.
Pressure care is one of the quieter but most important parts of that work. It requires the right knowledge, the right tools, and the understanding that preventing a pressure injury is one of the most compassionate things a carer can do.
Pressure injuries can develop when sustained pressure on the skin reduces blood flow to the underlying tissue. [2] In palliative and hospice care, the risk of this happening rises significantly and quickly.
As the body approaches its end of life, the skin becomes thinner, less elastic, and much slower to repair itself. Reduced food and fluid intake accelerates this vulnerability. [4] For residents who are largely bed-bound, spending long periods in one position is unavoidable, and the consequences can escalate rapidly from skin discolouration to deep, open wounds.
Pressure injuries are intensely painful. They can be a source of significant distress not only for the person experiencing them but for their family and the carers who want nothing more than to keep them comfortable. [4] Beyond the pain, open wounds can affect a person’s sense of dignity and their ability to feel at ease in their own body during an already profound time.
The Health and Disability Commissioner has identified pressure injuries as a source of preventable harm in New Zealand care settings. [6] Te Whatu Ora and the Health Quality and Safety Commission both support active pressure injury prevention as part of safe, dignified palliative care. [3,7] Prevention, wherever it is possible, is the most important form of treatment.
There are several types of specialised products used in New Zealand hospice and palliative care settings to support pressure injury prevention. [5] These are not replacements for attentive, compassionate care, but they can make that care significantly more effective.
1. Pressure re-distributing mattresses and overlays
Specialist foam mattresses are designed to distribute body weight more evenly and reduce the concentration of pressure on any single point. [1] Alternating air mattresses automatically cycle through inflation and deflation, mimicking the micro-movements a person would naturally make and helping maintain blood flow to the skin and tissue beneath the surface.
View Cubro’s alternating air mattress options here.
2. Heel protectors and foot supports
The heels are among the most vulnerable areas on the body for pressure injuries because of the small surface area, the prominence of the bone, and the limited soft tissue protection. [2] Specialist heel protection products are designed to relieve pressure from this area and reduce the risk of injury.
The Alova® large heel support provides pressure relief for the heel area in alignment with the physiological axis of the lower limbs. It is designed to protect heels that are susceptible to pressure injuries and to provide added comfort for residents spending extended time in bed.
The Alova® foot splint is a lightweight and compact product that can be used in both the prevention and treatment of pressure injuries on the heel. An open top and a hole at the heel zone allow for air circulation, while a slight inclination in the design promotes venous return. The splint holds the foot in a horizontal position while allowing full foot flexing for comfort.
3. Seating cushions
Time in a chair, whether a wheelchair or a recliner, is not without pressure risk. Residents who are seated for extended periods need a cushion that actively distributes weight away from the tailbone, sacrum, and hips. [2]
The Repose® cushion is a lightweight, inflatable air cushion designed for use on static chairs. It uses a single air cell design to evenly redistribute body weight, and it comes with a pump for quick and consistent inflation to the correct pressure every time. It is portable, easy to clean, and available with an optional cover. For carers supporting residents across different seating environments, its portability is a genuine practical advantage.
Working in hospice and palliative care is profound, demanding work. Carers carry not only the physical responsibilities of the role but the emotional weight of accompanying people through the end of their lives. Pressure care, though it may seem like a practical task, is an expression of that care at its most fundamental.
Having reliable equipment that works as it should and is easy to use supports carers in preventing harm and doing this work sustainably and with confidence. If you would like to discuss the pressure care products Cubro supplies to hospice and palliative care settings across New Zealand, please reach out to us. We’re happy to help.
1. New Zealand Wound Care Society. Pressure injury resources. https://nzwcs.org.nz/resources/pressure-injury-resources
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Pressure Ulcers (Pressure Injuries) — StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK333135/
3. Health Quality and Safety Commission New Zealand. Pressure injury prevention. https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-work/system-safety/reducing-harm/pressure-injury-prevention/about-us/
4. Marie Curie. Pressure ulcers in palliative care. https://www.mariecurie.org.uk/information/symptoms/pressure-ulcers
5. Hospice New Zealand. Harcourts 2025. https://www.hospice.org.nz/harcourts_2025
6. Health and Disability Commissioner New Zealand. Decision 20HDC00374. https://www.hdc.org.nz/decisions/search-decisions/2024/20hdc00374/
7. Te Whatu Ora. Pressure injuries. https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/health-topics/conditions-treatments/skin/pressure-injuries