Bed sores and pressure sores are particularly prevalent in nursing homes and hospitals, where the patient is not able to get up and move around easily. An infected bed sore can cause serious problems.

Presure Sores in Nursing Homes

Sadly, bed sores are a common occurrence in both hospital and nursing home settings.  As many as 13% of all hospital patients suffer from pressure sores, according to a 2005 International Pressure Ulcer Prevalence Survey.  Bed sores occur when a person stays in the same position for too long, putting constant pressure on one area of their skin.  This pressure reduces the blood supply to the surrounding area and can cause bruising and severe pain.  If left alone for long enough, the skin will eventually break down and form an open sore.

Bed sores, also called pressure sores, often occur over the bonier areas of the body, where there is little cushion between the bone and the skin.  Most commonly, sores tend to occur on the lower part of the body, like the tailbone, buttocks, hips, or heels, because these are the areas that are mostly likely to experience constant pressure.  However, bed sores are often known to occur on the back of the head, behind the ears, on shoulders, on elbows, and on ankles.

Nursing Home Neglect

Nursing home patients are especially susceptible to bed sores.  As we get older, our body’s soft tissue stiffens and is unable to distribute pressure as easily as it used to.  This, coupled with the fact that skin tends to become thinner and more elastic over time, causes injuries in the elderly much more easily.  A good nursing home trains its attendants to be aware of these problems and alert to the needs of bedridden patients to be repositioned often.

Bed Sore Treatment

The main focus of treatment for a bed sore is to prevent the sore from getting any worse and to make the skin healthy again.  In many cases, health care professionals will:

·          Relieve pressure on the area by changing positions often and spreading body weight evenly

·          Keep the sore clean and covered

·          Provide a healthy diet with enough extra protein to help the skin heal

·          Keep the tissue around the bed sore clean and dry

·          Attempt to remove dead tissue and apply medicated ointments to reduce the risk of infection.

·          If the sore does become infected, antibiotics will need to be prescribed.

 

Lilly, O'Toole & Brown, LLP
Lakeland Office: (863) 683-1111
Bartow Office: (863) 533-5525M
Sebring Office: (863) 471-0003
Lake Wales Office: (863) 676-1991
Haines City Office: (863) 422-1282
Wauchula Office: (863) 767-1111

Also providing legal assistance to clients from:
Wauchula, Lake Placid, Avon Park, Plant City, Brandon, and Valrico, Florida.

©2008 Lilly, O'Toole & Brown, LLP, All Rights Reserved, Reproduced with Permission
Web Site Design, Search Engine Optimization, Optimized Video Services and Content Management System
by Foster Web Marketing