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Bed Sores in Nursing Homes
Most bed sores can be prevented through routine observation, rotation, and adjusting of the body. In some instances, a bed sore may be unavoidable. However, even in these rare cases, the nursing home or skilled living facility has an obligation to provide adequate medical care to treat the condition.
Joe Musso has represented hundreds of families against nursing homes that provided inadequate treatment of these painful ulcers.
If your loved one developed a bed sore, call us now at (703) 726-8188 or contact us online for a FREE case evaluation.
FAQ on Bed Sores
What are the 4 stages of Bedsores?
Stage I: This stage is characterized by a surface reddening of the skin. The skin is unbroken and the wound is superficial. Generally when pressure is relieved off of this area the skin integrity is returned to baseline.
Stage II: This stage is characterized by a blister either broken or unbroken. A partial layer of the skin is now injured. Involvement is no longer superficial.
Stage III: The wound extends through all of the layers of the skin. It is a primary site for a serious infection to occur.
Stage IV: A Stage IV wound extends through the skin and involves underlying muscle, tendons and bone. The diameter of the wound is not as important as the depth. This is very serious and can produce a life threatening infection, especially if not aggressively treated. All of the goals of protecting, cleaning and alleviation of pressure on the area still apply. Nutrition and hydration is now critical. Without adequate nutrition, this wound will not heal.
Can pressure ulcers be prevented?
Most bedsores can be prevented by inspecting the skin for areas of redness every day with particular attention to bony areas. Other methods of preventing bedsores and prohibiting them from advancing to later stages are:
- Repositioning every 2 hours (the standard of care for bed sore prevention)
- Sitting upright in a wheelchair, changing position every 15 minutes
- Providing soft padding in wheelchairs and beds to reduce pressure
- Keeping the skin clean and dry
- Ensuring proper nutrition so the elderly get enough vitamins, minerals, fluids etc to promote skin and wound healing.
Are bedsores painful?
Pain from pressure ulcers can range from mild to extremely painful and the cause of the pain can differ from patient to patient. Much of this is dependent on what stage the bed sore is in.
A few possible scenarios that could cause the patient pain:
- Surface pain. Irritation at the sites wound effecting the skin and tissue.
- Infection. Wounds that are infected and inflamed are painful.
- Nerve damage. Pressure sores can lead to nerve damage that can cause long-term chronic pain.
What is the difference between Bedsores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers?
Bedsores, Pressure Sores, Pressure Ulcers and Debucbitus Ulcers are all different names for the same type of wound.
Why Retain a Bed Sore Lawyer?
Bedsores are one of the most common reasons people call our law firm. The CDC reports almost 10% of all elderly living in a nursing home suffer from these sores. They can be incredibly painful, entirely preventable before the later stages develop, and when left untreated by caregivers entrusted to your loved ones care, they can lead to serious injury or infection-related death.
That’s why we’re aggressive when it comes to helping families receive fair compensation for this tragedy.
Our clients can rest assured that they have one of the world’s best bedsore lawyers who will stop and nothing to ensure they get the justice and compensation they so desperately deserve. To learn more about pressure ulcers explore this page for more information.
What is a bedsore?
Nursing home patients are at such high risk of bed sores because they remain in beds or wheelchairs for most of their time.
As a persons ages and their health declines, the risk factors for bed sores increase. However, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are trained on exactly how to prevent these sores from developing and progressing to later stage wounds. If they fail to do their job of repositioning patients, ensuring their elderly patients receive adequate nutrition and make sure that the skin stays dry and clean, painful bed sores are the unfortunate result.
- The CDC reports as many as 10% of all patients living in a nursing home experience bed sores.
- Pressure ulcer prevention should focus on decreasing pressure on bony prominences, improving skin condition, and improving nutrition.
- Any condition that contributes to prolonged pressure presents a risk for the development of bedsores. Some examples include being bed-bound, refined to a wheelchair, inability to reposition oneself, obesity, and immobility.
- Most pressure ulcers form over bony areas such as the buttocks, tailbone, shoulder blades, behind the knee or ankle, and the heel of the foot.
- One of the earliest signs of a pressure ulcer is a reddened area of skin that remains red after the pressure is relieved.
- We are experts with a specific niche in bed sore and pressure ulcer litigation.
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Musso
The Musso Law Firm, PLLC represents residents and their families in prosecuting abuse and neglect lawsuits against the nursing homes that betrayed their trust. We hold nursing homes accountable for choosing profit over people.
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