Neglected Nursing Home Residents Often Develop Painful Bed Sores

 Posted on December 13, 2019 in Bed Sores

A large number of nursing home residents cannot move around without help. They may be confined to a bed or wheelchair for long periods of time and unable to shift their weight to different parts of their bodies. When a body part experiences persistent pressure, pressure ulcers, also called bed sores, can develop. Nurses, nursing aids, and other nursing home staff members should take special precautions to prevent the development of bed sores in their patients. Unfortunately, some nursing home workers are not as vigilant about bed sores as they should be. When nursing home staff fail to follow procedures for stopping the development bed sores, it is the residents who end up suffering. Frequent bed sores may be a sign of nursing home neglect or abuse.

How Do Bed Sores Develop?

Decubitus ulcers, more commonly known as bed sores, are caused by prolonged periods of pressure on the skin. Bed sores often develop on a resident’s tailbone, hips, buttocks, shoulder blades, spine, backs of arms and legs, ankles, and heels. The first warning signals that bed sore is developing include changes in the resident’s skin color, temperature, texture, swelling, and tenderness. If these warning signs are present and nursing home staff do not reposition the resident to relieve the pressure to the affected areas, the bed sores will worsen. Untreated, bed sores can become deep, open wounds that are extremely painful and prone to infection.

Nursing Home Staff Have a Duty to Prevent and Treat Bed Sores

Patients who cannot advocate for themselves are at an especially high risk for bed sores. Many nursing home residents have cognitive issues such as dementia that leave them unable to effectively communicate. Nursing home staff should pay special attention to these residents and be watchful for signs of bed sores. They should be repositioning the residents at regular intervals, routinely checking for signs that a bed sore is developing, using pressure relieving devices such as special cushions, and ensuring that the resident is getting adequate water and nutrition.

If a bed sore does develop on a nursing home resident, staff should immediately begin treating the wound so that it does not get worse. Frequent bed sores can be a sign that nursing home staff are not paying close enough attention to a resident. If your loved one is living in a nursing home and he or she is frequently developing bedsores, this could be a sign that he or she is suffering from nursing home neglect.

Contact a Cook County Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

If your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect or nursing home abuse, contact Schwartz Injury Law to learn about your legal options. We can help you hold the negligent or abusive nursing home facility responsible for the pain they have caused your loved one. Schedule a free consultation with an accomplished Cook County nursing home injury attorney by calling our office today at 312-535-4625.

Sources:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bed-sores/symptoms-causes/syc-20355893

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=1225&ChapterID=0