Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

Studies show that almost 50% of California nursing homes do not meet federal standards in preventing pressure ulcers. The problems are so widespread that the treatment of these ulcers – also called bed sores – will no longer be covered by Medicare if the sore was acquired after admission into a nursing home.

Family members should be aware that a bed sore can develop in only a few hours if an area of the skin is subjected to enough pressure that cuts off blood flow to that area. The skin will initially appear red and will be painful, slowing appearing to have a purple color. This is the best time prevent the sore from advancing to something more serious.

Nursing home and assisted living residents are at high risk for developing pressure ulcers, and those residents that are bedridden, wheelchair bound, or those will limited mobility must be examined frequently for the development of bedsores. A small bedsore can quickly become a large sore if treatment is not promptly provided.

When there is sustained pressure in an area of skin that cuts off circulation to that area, the skin will start to breakdown creating what is common called a bedsore or pressure ulcer. If you’ve never seen one, consider yourself lucky. Not properly cared for, these sores and develop into wounds so deep that muscle and bone can sometimes be exposed.

It has been reported that two million Americans experienced pressure ulcers every year, usually the result of a combination of poor nutrition, dehydration, and immobility. Recent studies, however, suggest that fighting bedsores requires a team approach, enlisting not just the bedside caregivers, but many other nursing home employees.

A study by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society involving 52 nursing homes around the United States reported a reduction of almost 70% of serious bedsores acquired in the facilities after utilizing a team approach to the prevention and treatment of sores.