Bed Sores
What are Bed Sores?
Bedsores are caused when there is prolonged pressure to the skin. Most often, this condition develops on bony areas of the body, such as heels, ankles, hips and tailbones. Residents who spend most of their time in a bed or a chair (including wheelchairs) with little to no movement are at the highest risk for bed sore development. They can develop quickly, so it is important to check regularly for signs.
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Primary Causes
Pressure
constant pressure on a particular part of the body lessens blood flow to the tissues, preventing nutrients that keep the skin and tissues alive
Shear
when two surfaces move in the opposite direction, such as elevating a bed while your body slides down. Even if the movement is slight, if consistent enough it could cause damage
Friction
when the skin consistently rubs against clothing or bedding
The Four Stages
Bed Sore Prevention
The need bedsore prevention is obvious, yet thousands of residents suffer needlessly. There is typically no justification for a nursing home to patient to develop a late stage bedsore. When this happens, please contact a lawyer within our network for assistance. Our lawyers will vigorously fight for the resident’s rights and demand the nursing homes provide the care their patients need.
“If a bedsore starts to form it is to start treatment early.”
Bedsores are usually easy to prevent. In well-run nursing homes in Philadelphia, the staff regularly moves or turns the resident. If a bedsore starts to form it is critical to start treatment early, before it progresses to a more severe stage. If untreated the sore can rapidly become bigger and deeper and lead to other health risks. Often deep ulcers will become infected and can lead to sepsis and ultimately death. When bedsores reach stage 4, the final stage, they look like large blisters, and the dead tissue reaches down to the muscle or bone. At this late stage the resident will need hospital care to surgically remove the dead tissue and to clean out any infection. Bedsores can be particularly painful if untreated, which then usually leads to additional medication that can impair the patients cognitive function.
Often bedsores develop because the nursing home failed to provide essential care and ignored the resident’s needs. Sometimes the nursing homes are understaffed and do not have the personnel to meet their obligations to move the patient regularly. In addition to turning the patient other care factors can contribute to ulcers. Nutrition and hygiene play an import role in keeping the skin healthy and preventing sores. If the body is not nourished, or becomes dehydrated, the skin will start to breakdown. Also poor hygiene will promote bedsores, particularly the failure to change soiled under garments.
Bed Sore Treatment
It is important to treat these sores promptly. The longer to sore persists the larger it will grow and the more difficult to treat. As the skin continues to breakdown infection is likely to set in, which further compromises the body’s ability to heal itself. Once the bedsore reaches the final stages they do not often heal and the resident spends the remainder of their life in discomfort and pain.
Due to the prevalence of bedsores, federal law requires a nursing homes facility to create a preventative plan. Pennsylvania also has extensive regulations regarding the treatment and care of nursing home residents.
Other Signs of Elder Abuse
Injuries and Neglect are caused by a combination of risk factors. The more risk factors, the greater chance a person has of suffering from an injury.
Hygiene
In many nursing homes, up to 80% of residents do not receive daily oral care
