A resident wearing a leg brace at the Marion Rehab and Nursing Center in Marion, Illinois developed four different bed sores as a result of the nursing home failing to address and care for the skin covered by the brace. Only after a family member identified the wounds and brought them to the attention of Marion Rehab staff were the wounds treated.
Bed sores, also known as pressure ulcers, are one of the worst injuries that can happen in a nursing home. A bed sore is a wound that is caused by several contributing factors, but the primary cause is pressure. When a person is at rest, their skin is coming into contact with many hard surfaces.
Think about how you are sitting right now.
Your tailbone, feet, hands and head are probably in contact with some kind of surface. The weight of your entire body is probably being born by less than a dozen total inches of surface. Before you finish reading this blog, you will probably shift in subtle ways half a dozen times. You probably won’t even realize that you’re doing it, but you’ll be relieving the pressure points where the hard surfaces are contacting your skin.
When a person is confined to a wheelchair or a bed, like many nursing home residents are, they are typically unable to make those dozens of minor adjustments. The same area of skin and muscle continuously bear the brunt of their body weight. The nursing home staff is obligated to make those shifts for the resident. Failing to do so is the most common cause of bed sores and is a common sign of nursing home neglect.
Bed sores are extremely dangerous injuries that often prove fatal. They are one of the surest signs of nursing home neglect because they only develop under conditions of substandard care. In addition to constant pressure, poor nutrition and hydration, dampness, and unclean skin are also contributing factors.
One of our core beliefs is that nursing homes are built to fail due to the business model they follow and that unnecessary injuries and illnesses and wrongful deaths of residents are the inevitable result. Order our FREE report, Built to Fail, to learn more about why. Our experienced Chicago nursing home lawyers are ready to help you understand what happened, why, and what your rights are. Contact us to get the help you need.
Other blog posts of interest:
Gangrenous wound at Carlinville Rehab
Surgery required for bed sore at Regency Rehab in Niles
Crossroads Care Center cited for neglect
Resident develops bed sores on both heels at Eden Village
Click here to file a complaint about a nursing home with the Illinois Department of Public Health.