What Bedsore Prevention Methods Should Nursing Homes Be Following?
Nursing home residents and their families often make the mistake of thinking bedsores will simply go away. The truth is a bedsore can turn into a serious situation very quickly and potentially lead to death if it becomes infected. Contacting a bedsore lawyer in Suffolk County should be the first thing you do when you notice a bedsore on a loved one. It’s a clear indication that the nursing home staff did not properly care for them.
Bedsores are more common in nursing homes than they should be. They are easily preventable with appropriate care, but nursing home staff members often don’t provide it as they should. We’ve discussed some of the bedsore prevention methods nursing homes should be using so you can ensure your loved one is treated appropriately.
Repositioning Residents Frequently
Bedsores are also referred to as pressure ulcers. They form when someone has stayed on one part of their body for too long and the blood supply is cut off from that area as a result. Ultimately, the skin on the affected area dies after a couple of hours of no blood flow and a bedsore can develop as a result.
One of the easiest bedsore prevention methods is to ensure nursing home residents are repositioned frequently. Residents are often unable to move on their own, so nursing home staff members have to help them. However, too many times residents are neglected and develop bedsores as a result. An experienced bedsore lawyer in Brooklyn, NY will investigate the nursing home’s practices and procedures when your loved one develops a bedsore. Oftentimes it is a result of neglecting to reposition them appropriately.
Providing Sufficient Cushioning
Proper cushioning on nursing home beds is also an effective way to prevent bedsores for residents. When a resident is bedridden, it’s essential to change out the bedding regularly so they always have a proper cushion on it. Otherwise, they could develop bedsores quicker and easier, as well as not be as comfortable as they should be. When you visit your loved one in the nursing home, ask them about the cushioning and feel it for yourself and ask a staff member to change it if needed.
Ensuring Proper Hygiene In Residents
A bedsore lawyer in Suffolk County will tell you to never take proper hygiene for granted. Nursing home staff members often won’t bathe residents as much as they need to, and it can lead to a wide range of health issues. Moisture on the skin can lead to rashes and the development of bedsores more quickly. Some residents even suffer from incontinence concerns, so they need to be checked and cleaned regularly as a result. If a resident develops a bedsore and it’s exposed to urine, fecal matter, or dirty skin, it can become infected and more serious treatments will be required.
Caring For A Resident’s Dietary Needs
An issue every NY bedsore attorney will investigate is whether a nursing home resident is receiving proper nutrition for their needs. Improper nutrition might not necessarily lead to the development of bedsores, but it does impact how well they can recover from an infection or fight it off to begin with. Residents should be on a customized diet based on their needs and be monitored for proper fluid intake and any vitamins as needed. Malnutrition can cause bedsores to develop more quickly than in a healthy person, so it’s always worth it to stay on top of the nursing home staff to ensure your loved one’s dietary needs are being met.
How To Identify Neglect In Nursing Homes
It’s not ideal to have to confront the nursing home staff caring for your loved one, but it’s sometimes necessary. Always communicate with your loved one about the care they are receiving and ask them if they are feeling any pain or discomfort. When this information is relayed to nursing home staff, be sure the issue is taken care of appropriately instead of assuming. They might say they will address the problem after they finish another task, but it’s important to remain present until it happens.
Communication with your loved one is essential. You should always keep your radar up for red flags and reach out to a bedsore lawyer in Brooklyn, NY if anything sounds suspicious. Bedsores can develop quickly and turn into an infection, so act quickly. There’s no easier way to identify neglect than to hear your loved one complain about discomfort regularly and nursing home staff members not treating the issue with a sense of urgency.
Reach Out To A NY Bedsore Attorney At The First Sign Of Bedsores
You don’t have time to waste when you notice skin concerns on your loved one in a nursing home. Reaching out to a NY bedsore attorney immediately is ideal so you can start collecting facts and they can begin investigation work. It is much easier on your loved one if bedsores are prevented rather than treated. Treatments can lead to other issues, not to mention the extreme discomfort they can feel.
Sinel & Olesen, PLLC has seen too many cases of bedsores in nursing home residents that were completely preventable. Many times the treatment options for those bedsores are expensive and you shouldn’t have to pay for them. Our experienced bedsore attorneys will hold nursing homes accountable for their actions and inactions to ensure your loved one receives justice. If you don’t believe the nursing home your loved one stays in is taking proper bedsore prevention methods, don’t hesitate to contact us to get a free case evaluation.