Orange County, California Bed Sore Attorneys

Why Do Bed Sores Occur in Patients Living in Long-Term Care Facilities?

The rate of the development of bed sores in long-term care facilities is high for several different reasons.  One of the major reasons for the prevalence of bed sores is that these facilities often have staffing shortages and tend to be understaffed.  When these facilities are understaffed, their patients are often losing out on proper caretaking.  Often, these patients are not being properly cleaned and fed, or they are not being turned or moved to different positions as often as they should be in order to prevent bed sores (also referred to as pressure sores).

It is important for caregivers in these long-term facilities to make sure the residents are turned at least every two hours and depending on the personal medical needs of each resident, they also may need to be turned to a new position more often than that.

Indications of Unacceptable Care Practices in Long-Term Care Facilities

Some signs that people should watch for when they are concerned about their loved ones in long-term care facilities developing bed sores include the following:

• Significant weight loss
• Deep wounds
• Chronic infections

When residents develop conditions such as those above, it is usually an indication of negligence or neglect on the part of the caretakers in the long-term care facility.  If significant wounds are observed, that often means that there may be neglect in more than one way, such as neglectful hygiene practices, nutrition, dehydration, and positioning.  Generally, a resident’s development of decubitus ulcers (the medical term for “bed sores”) is considered sufficient evidence of neglect.

The Five Stages of Decubitus Ulcers

There are five main stages of the condition of decubitus ulcers (pressure sores, or bed sores).  These stages are numbered one through five.

Stage One

In stage one, there is often a reddening of the skin on the surface.  The wound is superficial and the skin at this stage is unbroken.  It is similar to a light sunburn or may resemble a first-degree burn.  It often heals spontaneously.

Stage Two

A stage two decubitus ulcer involves a blister on the skin.  The blister may either be broken or unbroken.  A decubitus ulcer reaches stage two when a partial layer of the skin becomes injured and involvement is no longer superficial at this stage.

Stage Three

In stage three, a decubitus ulcer wound is extended through all of the layers of the skin.  At this stage, infection is a very serious concern.  The wound at this stage may progress very rapidly.

Stage Four

During stage four, a decubitus ulcer is extended through all layers of the skin and also now involves underlying tendons, muscle, and bone.  At this stage, the wound is extremely serious and may result in a life-threatening infection.

Stage Five

A stage five wound is extremely deep, having reached through the skin and muscle lays and now has affected the underlying bone and organs.  Often, surgical removal of the decayed or necrotic tissue is required at this stage.  It may also be necessary to amputate the affected limb.

If you or a loved one has suffered from bed sores as a result of neglectful caretaking at a long-term care facility, it is important to know your options.  Contact the Orange County bed sore attorneys at The Peck Law Group to discuss your options for compensation for these injuries.