Bedsores are painful skin and tissue injuries that are caused when a person’s body is exposed to prolonged pressure on a specific area. While most active people don’t have to worry about bedsores, they can quickly develop on the skin of elderly adults and others who have limited mobility.
When a person remains in the same position for a prolonged period of time, the pressure can cause parts of the skin tissue to get irritated and infected. Although bedsores are common in people who are confined to a bed for long periods of time, they are often preventable.
Even when a bedsore develops due to unpreventable causes, such as someone having severe vascular disease, it is typically possible to prevent it from advancing. Knowing how and when bedsores can be warning signs of nursing home neglect helps you take immediate action at the first sign that something is wrong with your loved one’s care.
Taking a Closer Look at How Bedsores Develop
A bedsore typically goes through a series of stages before it becomes life-threatening. However, it is important to note that even the mildest bedsore can be painful to someone who cannot move their body easily.
Able-bodied people tend to move throughout the day. Even when you aren’t aware of it, your body can shift positions in response to stimuli that indicate it has been in the same place too long. But, someone who lacks mobility or sensory feedback might not notice that their elbow is starting to tingle.
In a nursing home environment, caregivers compensate for the lack of mobility by manually moving residents into new positions. Having someone switch the side of their body they are resting on can alleviate pressure long enough to halt bedsores from developing.
The earliest stage of a bedsore involves the skin becoming red and tender to the touch. At this point, any damage is usually reversible by keeping pressure off this area of the person’s skin. If the proper action isn’t taken, then blisters and shallow open wounds might start to form.
Once this happens, the sore can continue to deepen and reach the underlying tissue. In the last stage, a bedsore can become a severe, deep wound that could expose the muscle or bone. Life-threatening infections can also develop at any point when the skin becomes compromised.
Expecting Nursing Home Staff to Practice Proper Bedsore Prevention
The risk of bedsores developing is well-known in the nursing home industry, which is why staff members are expected to follow specific protocols. For instance, a patient who needs assistance with mobility should be repositioned at least every two hours. Your loved one should also be provided with a comfortable mattress that is designed to provide pressure relief.
Maintaining good hygiene is also important. People who have skin conditions that include eczema or psoriasis might also need extra support with maintaining healthy skin. Eating a nutritious diet can also help prevent bedsores by giving the body the nutrients it needs to heal from minor pressure irritation.
Nursing home staff should also make sure that the residents are properly hydrated. Skin that dries out is more prone to developing pressure sores and having delayed healing. In most cases, seeing bedsores is a sign that one or more of these protocols aren’t being followed. But, there are some times when you might spot the signs of an early pressure sore that aren’t related to neglect.
People who have cancer, vascular disease or other conditions can sometimes develop sores from minor instances of friction or extremely short exposures to pressure. Usually, you’ll be aware of this risk for your loved one, and nursing home staff might need to take additional precautions to prevent sores. Moving your loved one more often or providing specialized pressure-relieving cushions could stop the problem before it starts.
If someone develops a bedsore, then it is critical for the care team to immediately begin implementing actions to help it heal. For instance, you should see clear documentation of when the wound was first noticed.
A competent care team will also seek medical advice and help your loved one follow a treatment plan. With proper care, most bedsores should never move beyond the initial mild stage.
Knowing What to Do When You Suspect Bedsores Are From Neglect
Bedsores can rapidly turn into serious health issues that could cause your loved one physical and psychological harm. In a difficult situation, your loved one could face mounting hospital bills and costs for surgery, along with other expensive treatments.
Nursing home abuse lawyers can begin investigating cases of suspected neglect immediately. Since nursing home neglect often involves multiple residents, reaching out for help could ensure that more people don’t fall prey to the consequences of neglect.
During a nursing home neglect investigation, a lawyer can review medical charts and wound care records. Looking for lapses in care, such as skipped repositioning or missed medications, can identify whether or not the staff has been ignoring their resident’s needs.
Lawyers can also request staffing records to ensure that the facility is in compliance with the recommended staff-to-resident ratios. Interviewing staff members can also help to identify issues within the facility’s planning and care systems.
Discovering patterns of understaffing or high turnover rates is a sign that neglect could be happening due to the caregivers being unprepared to handle frequent needs for repositioning and other forms of bedsore prevention.
If your loved one has severe wounds, then the investigation may also need to include consultations with medical professionals who can provide deeper insight into the development of the skin condition.
Nursing home neglect sadly happens, even in beautiful facilities that have positive reviews. While it is upsetting to discover that someone you care about has been mistreated, you have the opportunity to help them find relief. For information and guidance, My Nursing Home Abuse Guide can be an excellent resource.
Since nursing home neglect is often widespread in a facility, initiating the process of holding programs and individuals responsible could help many others avoid the same fate. Although no one should ever be neglected in a nursing home, you can rest assured that there is a clear path forward to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
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