What Are Bedsores?

Caring for an ailing loved one in Myrtle Beach can be difficult (particularly those restricted to a wheelchair or bed). One may think that a lack of mobility makes looking after such a loved one easier, yet that is not the case.

People in nursing homes who are forced to be sedentary run the risk of experiencing health problems inherent with their limitations. Among these are bedsores.

Defining bedsores

Bedsores (or pressure ulcers, as clinicians call them), are skin injuries that occur in areas of the body constantly under pressure from contact with surfaces (such as the buttocks, back, heels and ankles). Those who are active move around enough to relieve such pressure, yet those who are immobile run the risk of sores developing after having been in the same position for an extended period.

If allowed to develop (and left untreated), bedsores can damage both the surface of the skin as well as the underlying muscle and fascia. In many instances, they can lead to infections that require extensive tissue debridement or even amputations.

Caring for those with mobility issues

Those who have mobility issues require constant assistance to ensure that they are moving (as much as they can) to relieve the pressure on susceptible areas of their bodies. Often their families entrust that care to a nursing home staff. Yet staff members may neglect such routine movements if they believe them to be unimportant in comparison to other job functions (or who simply are indifferent to a resident’s plight).

Such neglect can be easily recognized by those who count on nursing homes to provide their loved one’s with needed care. According to the Mayo Clinic, early signs of bedsores include:

• Darkening of the skin in the affected area
• Changes to the skin’s texture
• Swelling or tenderness in the skin in areas under constant pressure
• Pus-like drainage from skin openings

Such symptoms need to be immediately addressed.

Bedsores can typically be easily avoided by routine movements or the shifting of a person’s position. Their development may be a strong indicator of neglect.

If someone you love is suffering from bedsores due to not receiving proper care in an assisted living facility, you should contact our experienced nursing home neglect attorneys at Maguire Law Firm right away.