One key service that all nursing homes in Washington DC must provide is bedsore prevention. The onset of a bedsore can have a devastating impact on a resident’s physical health as well as their confidence in the ability of the nursing home to keep them safe.
Bedsores can become a problem in as little as a few hours. They can cause extreme discomfort, become infected, and may even expose a resident’s muscles and bones to the outside world. As a result, nursing homes have a legal obligation to prevent the onset of bedsores whenever possible.
A nursing home who fails to perform this duty may carry legal liability for any injuries that result. An experienced bedsores attorney could help residents and their families to better understand the risks behind bedsores and to take legal action if a nursing home’s negligence has resulted in an injury. To learn more about bedsore prevention in Washington DC nursing homes, call today.
Bedsores are common injuries in Washington DC’s nursing homes. This is because many residents are unable to get out of bed on their own and may require assistance to merely turn over.
According to Johns Hopkins, a bedsore is a pressure injury that results from an inability of blood to get to affected tissue. In addition, bedsores may result from only a few hours of immobility. The most common areas where bedsores may develop include:
Washington DC nursing homes should be aware of these dangers and must take appropriate steps to prevent bedsores.
The most effective means to prevent the onset of bedsores is to move the resident. Residents with limited mobility may require the aid of a walker or a wheelchair and may need staff assistance to get out of bed. Staff should receive comprehensive training on how to help residents with mobility issues to get out of bed and go for walks a few times a day.
Even seriously ill patients benefit greatly from a set schedule for turning. As little as a few hours of immobility can result in the onset of a bedsore. As a result, nursing home nurses and staff should establish a twenty-four-hour turning schedule for residents who are completely immobile. Something as simple as a turn to another side of the body allows blood to reenter tissue and allows the skin to breathe.
All staff in Washington DC nursing homes should be aware of a resident’s need for mobility and should receive training on how to safely and effectively provide for this need.
Suffering through a bedsore is something that no resident in a Washington DC nursing home should have to endure. Yet the truth of the matter is that these easily preventable injuries are a leading case of harm in nursing homes around the country.
The staff and nurses of all residences should receive training and education about the risks posed by bedsores and steps that can take to reduce the risk of harm. This typically includes helping patients with limited mobility to take walks every few hours and creating turning schedules for those unable to get out of bed at all.
Failures on the part of nursing homes to take these steps that result in the onset of bedsores may constitute negligence. An attorney could help residents who have suffered a bedsore to evaluate the actions of their nursing homes to determine if they have a legal cause of action to demand compensation. Contact an attorney today to learn more about bedore prevention in Washington DC nursing homes.
