Bedsores / Pressure Ulcers
Bedsores, also sometimes called pressure ulcers, are extremely painful and completely preventable with proper care. Sadly, many nursing home residents fall victim to nursing home neglect and develop these sores as a result of inadequate care and medical attention.
What are Bedsores and What Causes Them?
Bedsores develop on the skin and underlying tissue. They are tender, painful, and often involve swelling, pus-like drainage, and changes in skin color and texture. Bedsores are caused by lying in the same position or on the same area of the body for an excessive period. These sores can only be treated with constant care, and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities can reasonably expect proper prevention of, and care for, bedsores. If done within a proper amount of time, medication and bandaging can remedy the sores.
Common Areas Where Bedsores Develop
Where bedsores develop on the body directly relates to how a patient is positioned for a prolonged period. For example, a resident who has been confined to a seated position for a long time may develop bedsores on the tailbone, buttocks, legs, arm, spine, or around the shoulders. Residents can also develop bedsores on the rear or sides of the head, outer ears, lower back, hips, and other areas.
Bedsore Stages
Bedsores are labeled a specific “stage” according to severity. Serious stages include:
Stage III — A stage three bedsore is also known as a stage three pressure ulcer or decubitus ulcer. This occurs when the patient lies motionless for a long period of time, resulting in lesions and sores on the skin.
Stage IV — This stage of bedsore is the last and most severe. It is extremely dangerous and can be life-threatening for the elderly. Symptoms include skin loss, damaged skin, damage to muscles, tendons, bones, and joints near the affected area, and sometimes even sepsis.
Do not wait until you reach the critical stage four to contact our firm. We handle serious bedsore cases that occur in nursing homes or other senior care facilities with 100% confidentiality.
How are Bedsores and Pressure Ulcers Prevented?
There are many things nursing home staff and elderly caregivers can and should do to prevent bedsores. This is critical, as prevention is typically easier than treating bedsores once they have developed. To prevent nursing home residents from developing bedsores, caregivers should:
Ensure residents are closely and constantly monitored
Regularly move and reposition immobile residents
Relieve pressure on body parts with pillows and pads
Regularly change residents with urinary or fecal incontinence
Apply medications regularly and correctly, if it is needed
Change bandages regularly
Are Bedsores Considered Neglect?
When the basic preventative care practices above are not followed, it is a form of negligence, and you may have a case for nursing home neglect. Residents who develop bedsores as a result of such negligence have the right to seek legal recourse from an attorney specializing in bedsore cases.
If you or your loved one developed bedsores while in a nursing home or another long-term care facility, contact us to discuss your legal rights and options. We provide all of our clients with a free case evaluation over the phone or in person and will evaluate the details of your claim with complete confidentiality.