Making the decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is extremely difficult. You want to ensure that your loved one is receiving the best care possible and is being treated with the respect and dignity that they deserve. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and nursing home neglect and abuse occur. One sign of nursing home abuse or neglect is bed sores.
Bed sores are also known as pressure sores, decubitis ulcers and pressure ulcers. A bed sore occurs when there is unrelieved pressure to the skin. The most common areas for bed sores to occur are areas of the body where the skin is in close proximity to the bone. Some of these areas include the hips, back, elbows, ankles and heels. Because people who live in nursing homes spend much of their time sedentary, they are at a high risk for developing bed sores. Because of the high risk of developing bed sores, nursing home staff must be vigilant in ensuring that residents do not get bed sores.
Bed sores can occur in stages. The first stage of development includes intact, but red skin, skin that will not blanch to the touch and painful skin. In the second stage, the bed sore develops into an open wound, which can have the appearance of a pink colored fluid-filled blister. In stage three, the wound is now considered to be deep. During this stage the sore may look like a crater, healthy skin layers may be damaged by the infected areas, and the open skin may show fat. Stage four is considered to be the most severe stage. In this stage the sore has caused so much damage that the bones, tendons or muscles may be exposed.
Bed sores can have a lot of negative health effects, besides being painful. They can lead to other serious health conditions as well. The woulds can lead to cancer, joint or bone infects, sepsis or cellulitis. Because of the problems bed sore themselves pose, as well as addition problems they can cause, it is important that nursing home staff are ensuring that they do not develop. Nursing home staff should be ensuring that residents moving enough, having daily skin inspections and receiving adequate nutrition.
If your loved one is suffering from bed sores while at a nursing home, you should contact the experienced nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys from Martin Law Office. The attorneys at Martin Law Office have the experience and expertise to help you and ensure that you and your loved one are cared for properly.