Nursing Home Abuse & Bed Sores:

Well, there will always be some signs. The most common sign of abuse and neglect to a person living in a nursing home is – Bed Sores.

What Are Bed Sores?

Bed sores are also known as decubitus ulcers or pressure sores. When there is continuous pressure on any part of the body and the pressure is not relieved periodically, then the tissues and skin in that particular area break down and this results in a sore. The term bed sore is used because such sores typically occur in people who are bed ridden for long periods of time and do not change their position in bed often.

In the initial stage the sore area turns red, which is an indication of mild bed sores. If the patient is not treated properly, or if left in the same position for longer, then the mild bed sores start to worsen. The reddening of the skin gives way to breaks and tears on the surface of the skin. Severe cases of bed sores have often left the muscles, internal tissue, and sometimes even the bones of the patients open to the naked eye.

Bed sores can occur anywhere on the body, but the areas most prone to bed sores are those where the bones are closer to the surface of the skin. For instance, the hips, elbows, ankles, back, shoulder, and behind the head; these areas are more likely to result in bed sores than other parts of the body.

Infected Bed Sores

Bed sores are a very painful disease and leaves the patient in tremendous suffering. If bacteria and other germs start developing in the bed sores, the sores can become infected. This infection, if not cared for and treated properly, can even lead to the death of the sufferer.

When nursing home residents are not given adequate health care, and when their personal hygiene is neglected, their sweat, urine, or feces can cause their bed sores to become infected. The infected bed sores can lead to other health problems and infections such as gangrene, sepsis (blood infection) and also cancer in the tissues. These bed sore infections cause the death of many nursing home residents.

What can be done to prevent bed sores?

The most alarming fact here is not that the bed sores happen to nursing home occupants, but the fact that these bed sores can easily have been prevented in the first place. If an elderly or sick person is bedridden because of some illness or other problems, frequent changing of their positions in bed can prevent bed sores.

Many nursing home inhabitants who use wheelchairs also develop bed sores as they sit in one position for too long without shifting their weight regularly. Handicapped people or those who cannot shift their positions on their own, rely on the nursing home staff to help them out. But many residents are left to their own resources and as a result they have to suffer from bed sores.

Nursing home residents have a right to be treated properly and taken care of. If you or a loved one has had to suffer from bed sores because of nursing home abuse or neglect, your rights may have been violated. Contact a nursing home attorney to know all about your legal options.

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