May 28, 2014
Bedsores are all too prevalent occurrences in nursing homes. They occur when the skin is pinched between a person’s body weight and an unrelenting surface, such as a wheelchair seat or a compressed mattress. Most commonly, the pressure point is located under the skin and is not easy to visibly see on the skin’s surface.
A deep pressure point can slowly fester and, when the bedsore breaks the surface of the skin, it will develop into a nasty wound that is open to the surrounding environment. Infrared technology for bedsore detection makes it easier to spot wounds before they develop. If your loved one’s nursing home did not take appropriate measures to keep them healthy, you can consult with our Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer.
Prevention and Early Treatment of Pressure Ulcers Are Key
The best way to deal with bedsores is to take steps to prevent their development in the first place. However, once a bedsore develops, the best way to treat it is to alleviate the conditions that are causing it to form, which typically include:
- Unrelieved pressure on a specific location
- Moisture from sweat or urine
- Skin catching on surfaces as the resident slides or slumps over
- Any source of irritation, such as itchy fabrics or lumps or bumps in fabric
Bedsores exist in four stages, and the first two stages are the easiest to treat and the most common. In fact, stage one bedsores are characterized by no open wound and will go away on their own if pressure is relieved from the wound site.
Early warning that a bedsore is forming can save a nursing home resident a lot of pain and suffering in the long run. One way to detect bedsores is through the use of infrared technology.
How Infrared Technology Works
Infrared light is invisible to the human eye, but it has many scientific applications. For instance, it is excellent at detecting heat signatures, hence the use of infrared technology in night vision goggles, where sources of heat (like living beings) appear bright red, while colder surfaces appear purple.
Wounds like bedsores are often marginally warmer than surrounding areas, even in the very early stages when they are not yet visible to the human eye. Special imaging devices can detect this difference and alert caregivers that a pressure ulcer is forming.
Applying Infrared Technology to Bedsore Detection
Since early detection of bedsores is critical, numerous research institutes have conducted research on the physiology of bedsores and have developed solutions for prevention and the early detection of bedsores.
For example, there are devices that can detect the formation of bedsores under the skin before the bedsore shows any visible signs of existence on the skin’s surface. The device uses diffuse near-infrared light that is directed toward the skin of a resident using lenses to conduct scans of the skin at various depths. The data collected from the scans can be processed and indicate where a bedsore is forming under the skin.
How can nursing homes integrate this technology into their normal care routines? Doing so is often quite easy. Nursing home staff should already be examining residents regularly for visible signs of pressure ulcers. It takes a minimum of time and effort to:
- Purchase a commercially available infrared scanner
- Teach staff how to use the scanner and interpret results
- Have staff use the scanner on vulnerable areas when they examine residents
This relatively simple technology can save nursing home residents like your loved one from unnecessary suffering. Early detection also means that whatever bedsore treatment your loved one needs will be much easier and less costly to implement.
Prevention and Treatment of Bedsores Must Go Hand in Hand
Detecting a bedsore should be the beginning of care, not the end. The earlier you catch a bedsore, the simpler it is to treat it. When infrared catches a pressure ulcer before it fully forms, treatment may be as simple as repositioning the resident. More advanced wounds may require cleaning and bandaging. All bedsores should be closely monitored.
Unfortunately, not all nursing homes take their responsibility to residents as seriously as they should. Many facilities may not bother to integrate infrared scanners into their care routine, and those that do might not act on the scanner’s findings quickly enough.
It is important to note that, as useful as infrared technology is for detecting bedsores, not using it is not necessarily a sign of a negligent nursing home, and using it does not guarantee that the home provides residents with adequate care. To get a more complete picture of the kind of care your loved one is getting, our nursing home neglect lawyer can:
- Review their medical records
- Speak to nursing home staff and residents
- Review the home’s records and standard operating procedures
- Find out if the home has faced any complaints about their medical care in the past
Neglect is nursing home abuse, and your loved one should not have to suffer through it. Our law firm can help you consider your legal options if your loved one was diagnosed with a pressure sore.
Contacting a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Serving Illinois
If someone you love lives in an Illinois nursing home and develops a bedsore, the cause is often neglect by those responsible for daily care. In situations like this, families can seek help from an Evanston law firm specializing in personal injury to understand what went wrong and protect their loved one.
Please contact The Rooth Law Firm today for a free consultation. We have handled many cases involving residents who were injured in a nursing home facility, either due to lack of use of infrared technology for bedsore detection or another reason. We have the knowledge and skills necessary to get your loved one the justice they deserve.
ILLINOIS NURSING HOME ABUSE LAWYER
CALL US NOW 847-869-9100 