Are Bed Sores Preventable?

Bed sores, also known as pressure ulcers, are very painful and always have the potential to become life-threatening. Unfortunately, they are also very common in patients and residents who live in nursing home facilities. Many studies have shown that as many as one in five patients in assisted living and nursing home facilities suffer from the medical condition.

Bed sores are not simply a natural condition of living in a long-term care facility. They can be a form of neglect and abuse that generally occur because nursing home staff members fail to provide a patient or resident with their basic needs. If your loved one has developed bed sores, and significant harm as a result, our Tampa bed sores attorney can help.

What are Bed Sores? 

Bed sores are a type of injury to the persistent friction or pressure on certain parts of the body. Although a bed sore can appear nearly anywhere, the most common areas include the buttocks, back, hips, elbows, ankles, and heels. Residents and patients of nursing home facilities who are bound to a bed or wheelchair are at particular risk of developing bed sores because they usually spend extended periods of time in one position.

The severity of bed sores is measured in stages but even in the earliest of these, bed sores are very painful. They can also lead to many complications such as serious infections, and cellulitis, which can all lead to wrongful death. One of the most tragic aspects of bed sores is that in most circumstances they are preventable with proper care.

How Should Nursing Homes Prevent Bed Sores? 

Nursing home staff members and administrators have a responsibility to prevent patients from developing bed sores. The measures they should take include:

• Frequent monitoring: Long-term care facilities should monitor patients frequently so they can look for warning signs and ensure proper treatment is administered right away, when necessary.
• Adequate nutrition: Nursing home residents should always receive adequate nutrition. Obtaining the necessary amount of food, water, and nutrients helps prevent the breakdown of tissue and skin that leads to bed sores, and promotes positive overall medical health, as well.
• Repositioning: Residents should be repositioned regularly to alleviate areas of the body that are under regular friction and pressure. Generally speaking, patients should be turned every two hours to prevent the development of bed sores.
• Proper uses of pillows, mattresses, and other devices: Some patients cannot be regularly turned or repositioned. In these cases, nursing home staff members should use low-air mattresses, pillows, and redistribution mattresses to alleviate pressure and friction on certain parts of the body.

Our Bed Sores Attorney in Tampa Can Help Your Family

 At Kohn Law, our Tampa bed sores attorney represents victims of nursing home and elder abuse and helps them obtain the full and fair damages they deserve. We can put our experience to work for you, too. Call or text us now at 813-428-8504 or chat with us online to schedule a free consultation with our experienced attorney and to learn more about your legal options.

Sources:

acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/0003-4819-123-6-199509150-00008

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0400/0400.html