Bed Sores in a Care Facility

It is estimated that approximately twenty five percent of all nursing home patients develop bed sores in a care facility each year in the United States. This number of patients with bed sores in a care facility can be a high as thirty fiver percent for patients who were transferred to long term care from a hospital. There are several reasons why patients are particularly prone to developing bed sores in a care facility. It is also estimated that at least fifty percent of all bed sores in a care facility are preventable.

People are more susceptible to developing bed sores in a care facility for a number of reasons. Bed sores are the result of pressure applied to the skin that cuts off blood supply and can lead to tissue death. Bed sores are a common problem for people in wheelchairs, or those who are confined to bed because of injury or illness. Patients who are bedridden, unconscious, unable to feel pain, and those who are independently immobile are at a greater risk for bed sores in a care facility. Bed sores in a care facility can be made worse when a nursing home fails to provide adequate nutrition and hygiene care to their patients.

The risks of developing bed sores in a care facility increase when the patient suffers any of the following conditions: paralysis, neurological conditions, vascular disease, incontinence, diabetes, poor circulation, arthritis, or low body weight. Because these conditions occur more often in older medical patients, this population is particularly susceptible to developing bed sores in a care facility. Research indicates that seventy five percent of those people who develop bed sores are seventy years of age or older.

Though common, untreated bed sores in a care facility are often a good indication of abuse or neglect in a nursing home. In order to avoid the development or worsening of bed sores in a care facility, patients who are in a wheelchair or bedridden must be repositioned often to avoid prolonged pressure on vulnerable areas. Skin should also be inspected frequently for the early signs of bed sores in a care facility. Good nutrition, the maintenance of clean, dry, and moisturized skin, exercise and physical therapy programs, and equipment or materials that reduce prolonged pressure are all necessary in order to prevent and manage the development of bed sores in a care facility.

Bed sores in a care facility often begin as red, purple, or blue areas of the skin, often near bone or cartilage. They can then turn into blisters or abrasions that can eventually become craters that invade deeper soft tissues, bones, muscles, tendons, and joints. Infection is a common complication from bed sores in a care facility and is indicated by the presence of pus, a foul smell, fever, and irritation around the affected area. It is important that bed sores in a care facility be diagnosed and treated early in order to avoid life threatening complications.

At least 60,000 Americans die each year from bed sore complications. Millions more suffer from bed sores in a care facility.

More Information on Bed Sores:

» Bed Sores
» Bed Sores Pictures
» Treating Bed Sores
» Bed Sores in a Care Facility
» Infection from Bed Sores
» Healing Bed Sores
» Preventing Bed Sores

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