Abuse in neglect in nursing homes and long-term care facilities can sometimes be hard to detect. Families often place their loved ones in a facility after the elder has experienced some form of cognitive decline or illness. The symptoms of aging may mirror those of nursing home abuse, and as elderly residents may suffer from communication, memory, or cognition issues, it can be difficult to determine if a loved one is being properly cared for while living in a nursing home or long-term care facility. Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, are one condition that is noticeable to family and may be a sign of serious abuse or neglect.
A recently published article in a legal trade publication discusses bedsores in nursing homes and the abuse or neglect that the condition may be evidence of. Initially, bedsores are a skin condition that develops in patients as a result of being left in the same position for an extended period of time. Nursing home residents who spend all day in a bed or wheelchair without changing positions may develop bedsores. Some symptoms of bedsores include tenderness, swelling, discolored skin, abnormally textured skin, and a pus-like discharge from the affected area.
If left untreated, bedsores can worsen and cause serious health problems. What starts as a condition only affecting the outer layers of skin can move deeper and deeper into the body, as far as the bones, and ultimately may cause infection and become untreatable. Infections caused by bedsores are a cause of death for many nursing home and long-term care facility residents. The risk of death notwithstanding, untreated bedsores are a source of extreme discomfort and can make your loved ones’ lives very difficult.