Nursing Home Neglect Can Lead to Deadly Bed Sores

Bed sores are a serious problem for people who are bedridden or confined to wheelchairs. Many of the people who are at risk of developing one of these painful and life-threatening injuries live in nursing homes. Bed sores continue to be one of the leading nursing home injuries in the United States.

A bed sore, also referred to as a pressure sore, can develop when someone remains in the same position for a prolonged period of time, without moving his or her weight. This constant pressure against the skin can reduce the blood supply and may kill the tissue. The most common areas in which bed sores appear are the hip, lower back and heel.

Bed sores can be fatal, depending on the severity. When a bed sore first appears, it is usually red and as it progresses, some of the skin layers are lost, resulting in what looks like a blister. If the bed sore continues to worsen, the tissue becomes exposed, making it look like a deep crater. In serious cases, the bed sore will expose muscle and bone.

It is important to note that bed sores are usually preventable. Nursing home staff can help their bedridden residents by moving them every two hours to relieve pressure. However, this much needed assistance is not always provided.

Nursing home residents are especially vulnerable to bed sores, because many of them rely heavily on the nursing home attendants. Unfortunately, today’s nursing homes are frequently understaffed and when you combine that problem with the high turnover rate and poor training that goes on in these facilities, it is no wonder that nursing home neglect happens at an alarming rate.

If you suspect that your loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect, you should contact an experienced Palm Beach nursing home abuse lawyer for legal advice. Call Fetterman & Associates – The Law Team today at (866) 865-1244. We have been representing injured victims in Palm Beach County, St. Lucie County and Martin County, Florida for more than 30 years.