Why Bed Sores Can Be a Sign of Neglect

Bed sores are painful areas of the skin that are a result of too much pressure being on the same area of the skin for long periods of time. Bed sores range in severity from mild to extremely serious in nature.  Mild bed sores can show up as red or pink marks on the skin while the most severe bed sores involve all skin layers and will expose muscle and other tissues.  If bed sores become infected, they can be very dangerous for nursing home residents who have compromised immune systems and can’t fight infection as well as younger people.  If bed sores are a medical condition, then it seems that they would not be a sign of nursing home neglect.  That is just not the case; in fact, bed sores are one of the most common signs of neglect in nursing home residents.  Because bed sores develop when the same area of the skin is continually exposed to pressure, nursing home employees need to be sure that residents are turned in their beds and moved from their wheelchairs as frequently as possible so pressure doesn’t build up on the same patch of skin.  If this is done properly, many bed sores can be avoided.  If employees do not move residents as needed, mild to serious bed sores can develop and cause many complications.  When employees are not moving the residents as needed, this is neglect because they are not meeting the medical needs of each resident in the facility.  Only when nursing home administrators start holding employees accountable for moving resident to avoid bed sores will these residents have a better quality of life.  If your loved one has developed bed sores as a result of neglect, contact an Orange County nursing home abuse attorney to come up with a plan of action.