If you've had to place your loved one in a nursing home, you probably have high expectations for the quality of the care being given. You want your loved one to receive proper medical care and have staff members who are concerned with their overall wellbeing. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect are becoming more widespread. While you may reduce the chances of abuse and neglect happening to your loved one by interviewing nursing home administrators and making a careful decision about the nursing home you choose, there is always the possibility that they can occur. One of the signs of nursing home neglect is bed sores. If you discover loved sores on your loved one's body and suspect neglect, contact a California nursing home abuse attorney for more information.

Bed Sores & Nursing Home Neglect

Bed sores are pressure sores that form on areas of the skin that are subject to constant pressure. Because elderly people in nursing homes are often bedridden or sit in wheelchairs all day, their bodies often rest on the same areas of the skin. The skin begins to break down and sores can form. Mild sores can be treated with antibiotic ointment and bandages, but more extensive sores can be dangerous. The worst sores expose bone and muscle and put the elderly at risk for infections and death. Many bed sores can be prevented with proper movement during the day. Nursing home staff members should help wheelchair-bound patients change positions to minimize the amount of pressure on one area of the skin. Patients confined to their beds should be moved at regular intervals. For example, a nurse may help a patient move from their left side to their right side to balance the amount of pressure being applied to each area of the skin. If staff members are neglectful and do not move patients regularly, bed sores can form. If bed sores become a problem for your loved one, contact a California nursing home abuse attorney to find out if you can prevent this from happening again.

Risk Factors for Bed Sores

Anyone who is sedentary is at risk for bed sores, but the elderly are at a higher risk than other groups of the population. There are several reasons for this increased risk. Elderly people have skin that is thinner and more prone to injury than younger people. Many elderly people also have to use medical equipment that can place pressure on the skin and create sores. One of the biggest risk factors for bed sores is being in a nursing home where regular assistance with movement is not provided. Sitting or lying in the same position for long periods of time puts pressure on the same skin areas and creates a greater risk for the formation of bed sores. If the staff members of your loved one's nursing home do not provide regular assistance with movement to help prevent bed sores, contact a California nursing home abuse attorney to prevent further neglect. This phone call can save your loved one from neglect and even abuse at the hands of a nursing home staff member.