It’s hard to make the decision to place your loved one into a nursing home. But sometimes there are no other options because the person needs more care than you alone can provide at home.
But you should be able to trust that the nursing staff and other care team members will tend to your loved one’s needs.
What does the discovery of bedsores mean?
At your last visit with your elderly family member, you noticed that they showed signs of bedsores, like:
- Different skin texture or color changes
- Swelling that’s warm to the touch
- One area is warmer than another
- Pus draining from a sore on their skin
- Extremely tender areas of skin
The presence of even the earliest untreated signs of bedsores is a sign of nursing home neglect. At the beginning and end of each nurse’s or aide’s shift, they are supposed to inspect and document the condition of their patient’s skin. All that information is documented on each patient’s chart.
Be their voice when they can no longer speak
Dementia, Parkinson’s and other health conditions can leave patients unable to speak up when they are in pain. Proper care of bed- and chair-bound patients includes moving them to different positions every couple of hours so the blood can flow easily.
If you know or suspect that your loved one has bedsores that are not being properly treated, you may need to speak up for them. You may be able to hold the nursing home and the negligent care team members accountable for their failure to prevent your loved one’s bedsores from occurring and getting worse.
