When nursing homes in San Bernardino County fail to provide adequate care to residents who are confined to their beds or have trouble with mobility, those residents can develop bed sores. While early stage bed sores can usually be treated effectively, bed sores that worsen can result in debilitating and life-threatening harm. In fact, in some cases, bed sores can result in fatal infections. What causes bed sores in Southern California nursing homes, and what should you do if you have an elderly loved one who developed bed sores under a nursing home’s watch? Our San Bernardino nursing home abuse lawyers can assist you.
Learning About the Causes of Bed Sores in Nursing Homes
What usually causes bed sores in nursing homes in San Bernardino County? According to the Mayo Clinic, bed sores result from “pressure against the skin that limits blood flow to the skin.” There are major contributing factors that often involve nursing home negligence, as well as risk factors for certain residents. The Mayo Clinic identifies the following as the three major contributing factors to bed sore injuries:
- Pressure that is constant on any part of the body, which makes blood flow difficult and can result in skin and other tissue being damaged;
- Friction that occurs anytime a person’s skin rubs against clothing or bedding, especially when a person’s skin is fragile and when the person’s skin is moist; and
- Shear, which is a term that describes a kind of friction that occurs when surfaces against one another are moving in opposite directions, such as when a nursing home resident slides down a bed that is elevated and the skin around the tailbone or spin moves upward.
The above contributing factors are issues that nursing homes need to consider when monitoring patients and ensuring that they receive adequate care. In addition, nursing homes need to provide reasonable care to prevent bed sores for residents with particular risk factors. The Mayo Clinic identifies the following as risk factors for developing bed sores:
- Lack of mobility;
- Incontinence;
- Disorders that limit a person’s ability to sense pain or other warning signs of bed sores;
- Poor nutrition;
- Dehydration; and
- Existing medical conditions that affect the patient’s blood flow, which may include diabetes or vascular disease.
What You Should Do When Bed Sores Cause Patient Harm
Nursing homes have a duty to ensure that residents who have mobility issues and other conditions receive regular care to prevent bed sores from forming. Facilities also have a duty to ensure that residents with bed sores get timely and appropriate treatment so that the bed sores do not worsen and cause additional harm. When passive neglect at a facility results in bed sores, what can you do?
You may be eligible to file a nursing home neglect claim under California law. In order to file a lawsuit, you will need to ensure that the claim is filed within two years from the date of the facility’s negligence.
Contact a San Bernardino Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer
A nursing home abuse attorney in San Bernardino can evaluate your bed sore case today. Our firm can also assist you to make sure that your claim is filed in a timely manner. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.
See Related Blog Posts:
Dehydration and San Diego County Nursing Home Negligence
I Am Concerned About Abuse in My Parent’s Los Angeles County Nursing Home: Now What?