Bed Sores Caused By Immobility Will Result In Death To Compromised Elders

Written by Adam Peck Category: Nursing Homes January 23rd, 2013 2 min read

Bedsores, also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers, or pressure sores, begin as tender, inflamed patches that develop when a person’s weight rests against a hard surface, exerting pressure on the skin and soft tissue over bony parts of the body. For example, skin covering a weight-bearing part of the body, such as a knee or hip, is pressed between a bone and a bed, chair, another body part, splint, or other hard object says California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven Peck.

This is most likely to happen when the person is confined to a bed or wheelchair for long periods of time and is relatively immobile. Usually, mobile individuals, when either conscious or unconscious, will receive nerve signals from the compressed part of the body and will automatically move to relieve the pressure. Pressure sores do not usually develop in people with normal mobility and mental alertness. However, people compromised through acute illness, heavy sedation, unconsciousness, or diminished mental functioning, may not receive signals to move, and as a result of the constant pressure, tissue damage may progress to bedsores in these individuals.

Each year, about one million people in the United States develop bedsores at a treatment cost of $1 billion. Pressure sores are most often found in elderly patients; records show that two thirds of all bedsores occur in people over age 70. People who are neurologically impaired, such as those with spinal injuries or paralysis, are also at high risk. Pressure sores have been noted as a direct cause of death in about 8% of paraplegics.

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Written by Adam Peck

Expertise: Personal Injury

Adam J. Peck, ESQ is a principal with Peck Law Group, APC. In 2008, Mr. Adam Peck received his Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. His practice is primarily dedicated to representing Elders, Dependent Adults, along with their loved ones and family members, who have suffered horrific personal injuries.