Having had one is the reason this question gets asked, and it’s a reasonable one to ask. Coming back is not unusual. Preventing new wounds from occurring or old wounds from coming back is one of the treatment goals of a wound care center, alongside healing the wound itself.
The steps fall into four groups.
Taking the pressure off. Use pillows, foam cushions, booties, or mattress pads to reduce the pressure, chosen with your provider according to the wound and whether you are in bed or in a wheelchair. Change positions often: about every 2 hours in bed, and every 15 minutes in a wheelchair. Do not use donut-shaped or ring-shaped cushions, which reduce blood flow to the area and may cause sores.
Avoiding friction and injury. Do not slip or slide as you move positions. Avoid positions that put pressure on a sore. Care for healthy skin by keeping it clean and moisturized. Do not massage the skin near or on an ulcer, because it can cause more damage.
Looking. Check your skin for pressure sores every day, and ask your caregiver or someone you trust to check areas you cannot see. Look at the buttocks, elbow, hips, heels, ankles, shoulders, back, and the back of the head, because pressure sores tend to form where skin covers bony areas with less tissue underneath to pad them.
General health. Eat healthy foods, because getting the right nutrition will help you heal. Avoid smoking. Lose excess weight. Get plenty of sleep. And ask your provider whether gentle stretches or light exercises are all right for you, which can help improve circulation.
The list of who is more likely to get a pressure sore is also worth reading honestly, because some of it cannot be changed: using a wheelchair or staying in bed for a long time, being an older adult, not being able to move certain parts of the body without help, having a disease that affects blood flow such as diabetes or vascular disease, having a condition that affects mental state, having fragile skin, not being able to control the bladder or bowels, and not getting enough nutrition. Where the risk is fixed, the checking and the repositioning carry more of the weight.