Pressure Ulcers May Indicate Problems with Nursing Home Care
Pressure Ulcers May Indicate Problems with Nursing Home Care
It is estimated that 2.5 million pressure ulcers are treated each year in acute care facilities in the United States, at a cost of about $11 billion.
Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores, bedsores, and decubitus ulcers are a result of unrelieved pressure on the skin. When a person remains in one position too long, without moving, the skin can break down. Excessive moisture or friction on the skin may also contribute to pressure ulcers.
Elderly nursing home residents and long-term care patients with little or no mobility are most vulnerable to developing pressure sores. They are at the top of the list of elder abuse and nursing home neglect incidents, followed by falls, faulty fixtures, malnutrition and dehydration.
Pressure ulcers usually occur on areas of skin tissue that rest against a bone. They commonly appear on the spine, buttocks, tailbone or "coccyx," hips, shoulder blades, heels, and elbows. Relatives and friends of elderly nursing home residents should be alert to signs of bedsores, which evolve through 4 different stages.
Stage 1 - The top layers of skin show damage but skin is unbroken. The skin may appear red but when touched does not turn white. The skin remains red after the pressure is relieved. Darker skinned individuals may show skin discoloration. Other signs may include skin hardness, being warm to the touch and other changes in skin texture.
Stage 2 - The damaged skin area appear as a superficial abrasion, blister or shallow crater.
Stage 3 - Damage appears on the skin, in subsequent tissue and muscle. The decubitus ulcer now appears to be a deep crater. There may or may not be damage to adjacent tissue.
Stage 4 - Extensive damage to soft tissue, muscle, bone or tendons is evident.
According to the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging, pressure ulcers develop in up to one-third of older adults in nursing homes. The occurrence and frequency of pressure sores may be markers of the quality of care elderly nursing home residents receive.
Research indicates that 95% of all pressure sores are preventable. The key to prevention is maintaining healthy skin in elder nursing home and long-term care patients. This can be accomplished by maintaining or improving patient mobility, providing sufficient nutrition, hydration and good hygiene, repositioning elderly bed bound residents every 2 hours, ensuring sufficient staffing levels and that staff is well trained in pressure sore prevention.
If you suspect a loved one is suffering from bedsores due to the lack of quality care by nursing home or long-term care facility it is imperative you contact an experienced Elder Abuse and Nursing Home Neglect lawyer immediately for legal help, advice and assistance.
If you suspect nursing home abuse please contact a California Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer or California Elder Abuse Attorney, immediately. We Represent nursing home neglect cases throughout California including Orange County, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Riverside, San Bernardino, Sacramento, Fresno, Santa Barbara and San Diego.
