Nursing Home Neglect: What You Should Know About Bedsores

April 5, 2016 | By Colombo Law

Each year more than 20,000 causes of bedsores are diagnosed. Bedsores are most common amongst individuals over the age of 60 who are not as mobile as they should be, usually because of health complications or other factors relating to health. Bedsores are often present amongst the nursing home population as these individuals often do not have the specialized care and attention they deserve. If you or your loved one has been diagnosed with having bedsores while in the care of a nursing home facility, contact Colombo Law for representation to assure that your loved one gets the medical attention to promptly resolve the issue.

Warning Signs of Bedsores

Bedsores present different signs as it progresses through the different stages. Initially, you should note that bedsores commonly develop in areas in which there is a thin layer of skin in close proximity to a bone. Some examples of common areas for bedsores include one’s heels, ankles, hips, tailbone, and elbows. The following are signs of bedsores at each stage:

• Stage 1: Patients who experience stage 1 bedsores may describe having pain on the outer layer of their skin. The skin may appear to be red or simply discolored on the area in which the bedsore is developing.
• Stage 2: During its second stage, the skin will break open. The pressure sore appears as a cut, abrasion, or a blister. If the cut or blister seems unexplained, you should have it examined to determine whether a bedsore exists.
• Stage 3: This stage is particularly severe as the bedsore has gone through the skin and layers of soft tissue. Fat may be exposed at this stage since it has formed an open wound that begins to pierce through multiple layers of skin.
• Stage 4: In its final stage, the bedsore appears as a large open wound in this stage and is usually described as a large crater like wound.

Bedsores Linked to Negligence

Bedsores are often linked to nursing home abuse, as it shows that a patient is not obtaining the proper care and attention. It is easily preventable by ensuring that patients who are bedridden or confined to a wheelchair are moved and repositioned frequently to reduce the amount of pressure on specific areas of the body. At the onset of bedsores, proper care and treatment is required to ensure that the condition does not worsen. Proper cleaning of the wound is also necessary to prevent a bacterial infection from developing. If a nursing home is aware of your loved ones bedsores but have failed to act promptly to remedy the situation, contact Colombo Law for an experienced attorney today.

Colombo Law: Your Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys

At Colombo Law, our attorneys care about you and your family. We recognize that your everyday life is busy and you may not be able to provide the care and attention your loved one deserves. That is why you made the hard decision to place your loved one in a nursing care facility. If your loved one is not receiving the care and attention they deserve, contact Colombo Law today.