Bedsores Caused by Nursing Home Neglect
A bedsore — also called a decubitus ulcer, pressure ulcer, or trophic ulcer — is a troubling but clear sign that your family member has been the victim of negligent nursing home care. These preventable injuries start as a mild inconvenience, but they can lead eventually to death. Caused by constant pressure on the skin, bedsores can, if untreated, lead to an infection of the skin, muscle, and bone (osteomyelitis).
If you see signs of a bedsore, contact the law offices of Joseph Klest, in Chicago, Schaumburg, and Oak Brook, Illinois.
Lawyer Fighting Against Nursing Home Neglect
It is the responsibility of the nursing home to prevent bedsores. The risk of developing a bedsore increases when a person is forced to lie on a hard bed, forced to use inexpensive and rough bedding, and is moved too infrequently by nursing home staff. Generally, patients should be moved at least every two hours, especially if they have a decreased sensitivity to pain.
The elderly are especially susceptible to bedsores because often they are unable to reposition themselves, lack the cushioning around bones that prevents bedsores, and have a decreased sensitivity to pain because of medications.
Here are a few things to consider about the bedsore risk your family member faces:
- Often, by the time you discover a bedsore has developed, it has already become infected.
- A bedsore is often difficult to see on your family member, because they occur on areas generally covered up, like on the tailbone, back, and leg.
- If they are left untreated, bedsores can develop into severe infections that could lead to death.
- Nursing homes have the duty to monitor patients especially susceptible to a bedsore, like patients that are bedridden, have a cast, are in a coma, and are unable to move.
Bedsores are caused by negligent nursing home care. With good nutrition, hydration, and positioning of a patient, they are preventable. Equipping rooms with waterbeds is another way to prevent bedsores.
Contact lawyer Joseph Klest if you feel your family member has suffered a bedsore because of nursing home neglect in the Chicago metro area.
