Bed Sores Raise Red Flag for Nursing Home Neglect

JERSEY CITY, NJ, June 09, 2011 (Press-News.org) Decubitis ulcers--most often called bed sores or pressure sores--are one of the most common symptoms of nursing home neglect.

The onset of bed sores is easy to spot, with reddish inflammation appearing around bony areas prone to bearing the weight of lengthy immobilization, such as the hips, tailbone and elbows. Although bed sores are treatable in their early stages, they can lead to serious--even life-threatening--health problems if allowed to progress.

The primary cause of bed sores is neglect. When a person is confined to a bed, chair or wheelchair for a lengthy period of time without regular movement or repositioning, the constant pressure on a particular area of the body causes a gradual loss of blood circulation in that region.

With an inadequate lack of blood and nutrients, the skin in the affected area begins to die. In bed sores, the skin erodes in four increasingly dangerous and painful stages:

- Stage I: The skin, though intact, begins to redden and may feel warmer or cooler than the surrounding skin
- Stage II: An open wound develops as the outer layer of skin wears away; this may appear as a minor abrasion or blister
- Stage III: The wound takes on a crater-like appearance as it deepens to the subcutaneous tissue
- Stage IV: Deep tissue loss occurs, exposing muscle, tendon or bone

Untreated, bed sores can lead to abscesses, sepsis, cellulitis, bone and joint infections, endocarditis, meningitis and cancer. In advanced stages, bed sores are sometimes not treatable.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home or assisted-living facility and you notice bed sores, you should seek immediate medical attention and contact the proper authorities (such as your state's division of aging or adult protective services). You may also want to contact an experienced nursing home abuse attorney, who can counsel you on whether you and your family may be able to recover medical expenses and other damages from the negligent party.

If you believe a loved one is suffering nursing home abuse or neglect in New Jersey, please visit the website of the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, P.C. at www.anthonycarbonepc.com.