For elderly persons in nursing homes or other facilities, bedsores or pressure ulcers may be the sign of a deeper problem. Bedsores occur when a patient is bedridden. If you have a loved one in a nursing home that shows signs of bedsores, it could be a sign of neglect. There are treatments for bedsores, not to mention preventative care. When you see bedsores, you may be witnessing elderly abuse.
According to E-medicine Health, when confined to bed for long periods, bedsores begin to form. This is due to the uninterrupted pressure on the skin. The pressure limits the flow of blood to the area and hence the skin loses nutrients. As the skin dies, bedsores form. Additionally, elderly person have fragile skin compared to younger people. As skin rubs against the bed or furniture, a patient may develop pressure ulcers.
The Nursing Home Abuse Guide states that nursing homes have an obligation to their patients to stop bedsores from forming. If the staff at a nursing home is too busy, they may pay less attention to some of the patients, particularly those who are not mobile. When this happens, patients end up neglected and riddled with sores.
There are basic procedures that can alleviate the formation of bedsores. The nursing staff should encourage patients to move every 15 minutes or so to ensure that they are not in one spot for too long. If a patient cannot move on his or her own, then every two hours, the staff member needs to adjust or move the patient.
Negligence can lead to bedsores and other complications.
