4 different residents developed bed sores at the Morton Villa Care Center in Morton, Illinois. Nursing home investigators witnessed one of the residents left on her back in bed for over 6 hours. Another resident had an open sore with no dressing whatsoever. A third resident was left in a wheelchair for 4 hours. The 4th resident was observed with a diaper so full that it overflowed into her chair and clothing.
Bed sores are probably the most physically devastating and emotionally depressing kind of nursing home abuse. They are also strong indicators of nursing home neglect because they’re the culmination of poor and inadequate treatment over time.
If you’ve ever been placed on bed rest for a broken bone or an operation, you know what it’s like: boring, tedious and, seemingly, endless time. Recovery times for procedures vary, but you may have spent a week or more in bed. And yet, no bed sores. Why?
The reason is because different aspects of nursing home neglect need to be present for bed sores to develop. The most well known cause of a bed sore is constant pressure. Nursing home residents often lack the strength to make the dozens of minor adjustments that we make unconsciously every hour.
The second cause is dampness. Diapers are often utilized in nursing homes because using a handheld urinal or bedpan can be difficult even if the resident is aware of when they need to urinate. But diapers hold in moisture. That’s why it is essential that nursing home residents who are incontinent are quickly and regularly changed.
The third and fourth major contributing factors to bed sores are dehydration and malnutrition. A lack of nutrients and water makes skin weak and susceptible to injury.
It’s rare for any one of these factors alone to result in a bed sore. Typically 2 or more of these conditions are present for some time before a bed sore develops. That’s why bed sores are so often indicative of nursing home neglect.
amounts to a violation of at least one and likely several federal regulations.
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:
Bed sores at Renaissance at Midway
Bed sores acquired at Gilman Healthcare
Holy Family struggles with bed sores
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.