Bed Sores & Pressure Ulcers
A common sign of nursing home neglect
What Are Bed Sores?
Bed sores, pressure ulcers, and decubitus ulcers all refer to the same injury: a skin lesion or wound caused by unrelieved pressure that damages the underlying tissue. These injuries are among the most common indicators of nursing home neglect.
Bed sores develop in stages. Grade I is minor reddening of the skin. Grade IV is an open wound exposing muscle or bone. Left untreated, they become infected, leading to serious complications including sepsis, amputation, and death.
Where Bed Sores Develop
Pressure ulcers occur where bony areas press against a bed or chair for extended periods. Common locations include:
- The tailbone (sacrum)
- The buttocks
- The hips
- The heels
However, bed sores can develop anywhere on the body where pressure is unrelieved.
Why Bed Sores Develop in Nursing Homes
Bed sores are largely preventable. When residents develop them, it typically indicates systemic neglect. The primary causes include:
- Failure to reposition residents: Residents must be turned and repositioned regularly—typically every two hours—to relieve pressure. When nursing homes fail to do this, skin breakdown is inevitable.
- Inadequate hygiene care: Residents unable to control their bowels or bladder require frequent toileting and clothing changes. Leaving residents in soiled clothing accelerates skin breakdown.
- Malnutrition and dehydration: Skin integrity depends on adequate nutrition and hydration. Underfed or dehydrated residents have skin that cannot resist injury.
All of these failures stem from one root cause: understaffing. When nursing homes cut labor costs to maximize profits, residents don’t get turned, don’t get cleaned, and don’t get adequate nutrition.
How Bed Sores Are Prevented
Federal regulations require nursing homes to prevent bed sores in residents who enter without them. A comprehensive prevention program includes:
- Risk assessment for each resident upon admission
- A written care plan addressing specific risk factors
- Pressure-reducing devices (air mattresses, heel protectors)
- Regular turning and repositioning every two hours
- Adequate nutrition and dietary supplements
- Frequent toileting and hygiene care
- Regular skin inspections
The key requirement: The care plan must actually be implemented. A plan on paper means nothing if staff don’t follow it. Nursing homes are liable when they have a care plan but fail to execute it.
Treatment & Progression
Bed sores are also treatable. Progression from Stage I or II to Stage III or IV can be stopped with proper wound care, regular dressing changes, and medical treatment.
When a facility fails to treat bed sores, they progress. Infected pressure ulcers can lead to osteomyelitis (bone infection), sepsis, and death. In these cases, families can pursue wrongful death claims against the nursing home.
How We Investigate Bed Sore Cases
Bed sore cases often involve examining months or years of medical records, care plans, and staff documentation. We look for:
- Risk assessments that identified pressure ulcer risk but were ignored
- Care plans that required turning/repositioning but weren’t followed
- Gaps in documentation—days when no turning was recorded
- Failure to document or treat existing wounds
- Inadequate nutrition orders or meal refusals not addressed
- Staffing records showing inadequate coverage
This evidence proves that the nursing home knew about the risk, had a plan, and failed to execute it.
Case Results in Bed Sore Litigation
Bed sore cases are among the most common nursing home neglect cases we handle. Here are examples of results we’ve achieved:
Your Loved One Deserves Better
If your family member has developed bed sores in a nursing facility, it likely indicates negligence. We’ve recovered millions for families harmed by understaffed and indifferent nursing homes. Your consultation is free.