When families place a loved one in a nursing home, they trust that facility to provide safe and compassionate care. But when bedsores appear, it’s not just a medical concern—it’s often a red flag for neglect. Bedsores, also called pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, don’t happen overnight. They develop because a resident is not receiving the basic care and attention they deserve.
Below, our friends from KBD Attorneys discuss how bedsores, in addition to being a serious medical issue, are a warning sign of neglect.
What Bedsores Are
Bedsores form when pressure is left on one area of the body for too long. This typically happens in immobile patients who spend extended time in a bed or wheelchair. The most common areas are the back, hips, buttocks, heels, and elbows.
They start as red patches on the skin but can quickly worsen into open wounds, exposing muscle and bone. Advanced bedsores require surgery and can lead to deadly infections like sepsis.
Why Bedsores Point To Neglect
Bedsores are preventable with proper care. Nursing homes should:
- Reposition residents regularly (every two hours or less).
- Provide special mattresses or cushions to relieve pressure.
- Keep skin clean and dry.
- Make sure residents receive enough food and fluids to maintain healthy skin.
When these basic steps are skipped, residents suffer. A bedsore is not “just part of getting old.” It’s almost always the result of inadequate staffing, poor training, or deliberate neglect by the nursing home.
The Hidden Dangers Of Bedsores
Beyond the immediate pain, bedsores can cause life-threatening complications:
- Sepsis: A dangerous infection that spreads through the bloodstream.
- Osteomyelitis: A bone infection that can result from untreated wounds.
- Amputations: In severe cases, parts of the body may need to be removed.
- Death: Bedsores are a leading cause of preventable death in nursing homes.
Families are often shocked to learn that bedsores are listed as “never events” in healthcare—meaning they should never happen when proper care is provided.
Why Families Must Take Action
If your loved one develops a bedsore in a nursing home, do not accept excuses. Ask questions:
- How often is your loved one being turned or repositioned?
- Has the staff documented and reported the sore?
- What treatment is being provided right now?
Document everything with photos and written notes. Speak directly to the nursing home administrator. And most importantly, know that you have legal rights.
What A Lawyer Can Do
A nursing home abuse lawyer fights for families who have been harmed by nursing home neglect. They investigate whether the facility failed to provide required care, hold them accountable, and pursue compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, and wrongful death.
Bedsores are more than a medical problem—they are a warning sign that a nursing home may be putting all residents at risk. Taking legal action not only helps your loved one, but also protects others from suffering the same neglect.
A lawyer knows how to uncover neglect, prove liability, and fight for justice.
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