July 10, 2022 Uncategorized
Bedsores are a painful injury caused by prolonged pressure on the skin, particularly on bony areas like ankles or hips. They are also very often preventable.
A properly run nursing home can generally catch bedsores in their very early stages or even prevent bedsores with regular care and monitoring. Bedsore prevention strategies are one of the most basic things a home should provide for residents, so bedsores are often a clear sign of nursing home neglect. Nursing home abuse lawyers help families act when warning signs appear.
What Are Bedsores, and How Do They Form?
When the skin sustains pressure for a prolonged period of time, injuries form on the skin and underlying tissues. These injuries may be called by many names:
- Bedsores
- Pressure sores
- Pressure ulcers
- Decubitus ulcers
As the Cleveland Clinic explains, bedsores are especially likely to occur on bony areas, such as ankles, hips, and heels. However, they can appear anyplace that has been placed under constant, unrelieved pressure.
What Causes Bedsores in Nursing Homes?
When a nursing home resident develops a bedsore, it is often a sign of neglect. Any or all of the following factors can lead to unnecessary skin breakdown or worsen an existing injury:
Lack of Repositioning
Elderly residents who have difficulty moving are at a higher risk of developing bed sores because they are unable to shift position. Further, moisture that is trapped against or near the skin is not able to properly dry.
In many cases, staff should be on hand to reposition the resident once every two hours. More frequent movement may be necessary in some cases. A resident’s needs can change over time, so staff should regularly reassess their condition and alter treatment accordingly.
Lack of Hygiene and Monitoring
Too much moisture can be bad for the skin. For instance, when skin is too moist for too long, such as from exposure to sweat or urine in bedding material, pressure ulcers can quickly form. It is up to nursing home staff to keep an eye on the resident, bathe and clean them regularly, and ensure clothing and bedding are clean and dry.
Inadequate Nutrition and/or Hydration
If an elderly individual is not properly fed or hydrated, this can have a serious impact on their body’s ability to maintain healthy skin and dermal tissue. A healthy diet with the appropriate balance of protein, vitamins, and minerals will help prevent this. If nursing home staff notices that a resident is not eating or is improperly hydrated, the staff should take immediate action to correct the situation.
Short-Staffing in Nursing Homes
Most, if not all, of the above issues can often be traced back to inadequate staffing. Too many nursing homes fail to hire enough people to care for all of the residents. Some facilities also fail to provide proper training and ensure staff are certified and fairly paid.
When a home’s staff is underpaid, overworked, and unqualified, the odds of a resident being diagnosed with pressure sores increase.
Bedsore Risk Factors Staff Should Be Aware Of
The following conditions can place a resident at a higher risk of developing bedsores:
- Immobilization or Limited Mobility: Those residents who are immobilized or have limited mobility are dependent on others to move them. Examples include residents who are comatose, paraplegic, or have suffered from a spinal cord injury. These particular residents are more vulnerable to developing bedsores than a mobile person.
- Arthritic or Injured Residents: Residents who have problems such as arthritis may not want to move themselves, even though they are able, because of the pain associated with the movement of their inflamed joints. The same is true for residents with injuries (e.g., bone fractures) or who have recently undergone surgery.
- Diabetic Conditions: One of the major problems associated with diabetes is that diabetic individuals may have no sense of feeling in their feet. If a bedsore begins to develop, the diabetic person may not notice because they are incapable of perceiving indications of pain.
- Cognitive Impairments: Residents with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease may not be aware that they have not moved for many hours, or may not realize or remember that they have a bedsore. Similarly, residents with Parkinson’s disease may be unable to move themselves and may require assistance with repositioning.
- Incontinence: If, by accident, a resident wets their bed, the wet environment can help promote the formation of bedsores. Skin that is supersaturated with moisture is not able to breathe and dry out, making it more susceptible to tears, degradation, and breakdown.
These are very common risk factors that all nursing homes should know about and be prepared to deal with. If they fail to do so, and if you have a loved one who is suffering from bedsores, please reach out to our lawyer to discuss any concerns you might have about nursing home abuse or neglect.
Are Bedsores Avoidable?
Bedsores, otherwise known as pressure ulcers, are typically caused by a resident’s lack of mobility. They are essentially damaged tissue just beneath the upper-epidermal layer of skin. They are avoidable in many cases because, for most residents, all it takes to prevent them is diligent monitoring and care.
In cases where bedsores are unavoidable—for example, if a resident arrives with a wound already on the verge of becoming a bedsore—the nursing home must have protocols in place to treat these injuries quickly. Bedsores can quickly worsen into a chronic or life-threatening condition. It is vital for staff to apply appropriate treatment at the earliest possible stage.
Nursing homes will sometimes claim that a bedsore was unavoidable even if they did nothing to prevent it, blaming the wound on a resident’s preexisting condition or some other factor. It is a good idea to let our nursing home neglect lawyer investigate your case to determine the truth.
Common Causes of Nursing Home Neglect
In some cases, the reason for nursing home neglect may be nefarious in nature. However, the overwhelming reasons behind nursing home neglect in the United States stem from inadequately staffed nursing homes or improperly trained staff. Neither reason is justifiable.
Nursing homes sometimes deliberately understaff the facility to save money. In other cases, there is high turnover at facilities due to low pay or poor working conditions. Either way, the results can be devastating for residents.
Residents May Not Be Able to Report Bedsores or Neglect
In many situations, nursing home residents have mental or physical limits that prevent them from speaking up about abuse. Some fear retaliation from staff. Others believe neglect is normal.
As a family advocate, you need to watch closely for pressure ulcers or bedsores, which often signal neglect. If you suspect mistreatment or poor care, you have options.
Risk Factors for Pressure Ulcers
Pressure ulcers are caused when a certain area of the body is under pressure for a prolonged amount of time. This typically happens when a patient in a nursing home is in their bed far too often or not appropriately repositioned by the staff. Those who cannot move or have severely limited mobility are most at risk of developing pressure ulcers/bedsores.
These types of injuries typically happen in the following areas:
- Those Lying Down for Prolonged Periods of Time: Bedsores often manifest around a resident’s hips, lower back, buttocks, or heels. It is important that they are rotated and/or helped to get up (if possible) to relieve prolonged pressure.
- Those Seated or in a Wheelchair: Residents who use wheelchairs may show signs of pressure ulcers around their feet and ankles if their shoes are not removed, or on their buttocks from the constant pressure of being seated throughout the day.
Other risk factors include certain medical conditions, such as diabetes. Fragile skin also increases the risk of pressure ulcers. While the skin naturally becomes more delicate as people age, malnutrition and dehydration can make it worse. So can persistently damp conditions, like if the resident is incontinent and the staff does not clean them right away.
When a resident presents with these or other risk factors, it is the nursing facility’s job to take additional measures to protect them. This may include performing more frequent examinations or repositioning the resident more often.
What Families Can Do About Pressure Ulcers
Common symptoms of bedsores include swelling, changes in the color or temperature of the skin, and pus. If you notice these symptoms, quick action can save your loved one from further pain and potentially fatal complications:
- Alert nursing home staff immediately
- Ask if your loved one has seen a doctor and, if they have, ask the doctor what has been done to address the injury
- Make sure your loved one gets medical attention if they have not seen a doctor yet
- Request to see any documents or plans the home has regarding your loved one’s daily care
- Document your loved one’s injury by taking photos and writing down the names of staff and providers
You can also take legal action to hold the nursing facility accountable for failing to prevent bedsores.
What to Do if Your Loved One Has Bedsores
Bedsores can absolutely be prevented. They are not inevitable. While they can happen in some cases for reasons other than nursing home neglect, if you notice them occurring or not being properly treated, it may be time to seek legal help.
Technology allows us to easily communicate with family by phone and with video messages, but the only way to ensure that your loved one is being properly taken care of is to physically visit them. If you notice pressure ulcers:
- Ask the nursing home staff about the reason for the bedsores.
- If their explanation is not satisfactory or the ulcers are occurring too often, remove your loved one from that situation as soon as you can.
- Take your loved one to a doctor you trust to treat the bedsore and prevent others from developing.
Once you are sure your loved one is out of immediate danger, you can contact our attorney. Pressure ulcers, especially the more serious ones, can be expensive to treat, and you may also be facing other expenses, like the cost of relocating your loved one to a new facility. You are entitled to the chance to seek reimbursement for these expenses by holding the nursing home accountable.
Protecting Your Loved Ones by Understanding Your Rights
If you believe that your family member has been neglected in a nursing home, give The Rooth Law Firm a call and get a free consultation today. With over 40 years of experience, our legal team knows what it takes to protect your loved one. If their bedsores are a sign of nursing home neglect, we can fight for the justice your family deserves.
