How bedsores can threaten the life of your loved one

by | Dec 3, 2020 | Nursing home abuse

Bedsores or pressure ulcers are injuries commonly associated with nursing home care. The way that bedsores form makes them a more significant risk for older people with limited mobility when compared with younger and more active individuals.

However, just because nursing home residents have more risk for developing bedsores does it mean that such injuries are negligible or that they are unavoidable in a nursing home. A high standard of care can prevent pressure ulcers from forming in most cases. This means that severe bedsores might be a sign of neglect or abuse in a facility.

In some cases, bedsores are more than just painful and unsightly. They can put someone’s life at risk.

Untreated bedsores will get deeper over time

In its earliest stages, a bedsore is just a topical red spot on the skin. However, it can eventually develop in to an ulcer on the skin that can affect even deeper tissue, such as the muscle and fat underneath.

Proper care, wound management and efforts to reduce pressure on the affected body parts can all keep bedsores from getting worse. If left untreated, the sores can become deeper and larger, making them more painful and increasing the risk of secondary medical consequences.

Infections are a major risk for older adults with bedsores

Bedsores often develop at a pressure point where the body pushes down on to a bed or chair. These locations are often dark because they are under the body and warm. That puts them in a perfect position to grow unhealthy bacteria. People with bedsores may develop secondary infections or sepsis. Left untreated, those infections could cause severe medical issues and even threaten someone’s life.

If your loved one has severe bedsores or an infection caused by untreated bedsores, their suffering may be the result of neglect in a nursing home, which means that you may need to take legal action on their behalf with the help of an experienced attorney.