| Whenever a patient is in a nursing home,
| |
| | guidelines are being followed. Sadly,
|
| that patient is at risk of developing a
| |
| | understaffing at nursing homes is a
|
| bedsore. Although there are both and
| |
| | serious problem that leads to patient
|
| federal and state guidelines specifically
| |
| | neglect.
|
| designed to prevent bed sores, many
| |
| | For example, many residents are immobile
|
| nursing homes and hospitals have failed
| |
| | and unable to regularly reposition
|
| to follow these guidelines. As a result,
| |
| | themselves while lying in bed. The
|
| nursing home patients are developing
| |
| | guidelines require nurses and aides to
|
| bedsores at an alarming rate. This
| |
| | physically move these patients every few
|
| article is designed to help patients and
| |
| | hours to prevent bedsores.
|
| their families prevent bedsores when in a
| |
| | Unfortunately, by the time an overwhelmed
|
| nursing home.
| |
| | nurse gets around to checking on the
|
| First, some background. What is a
| |
| | resident, the two-hour time frame in
|
| bedsore? A bedsore is skin and tissue
| |
| | which a bedsore can develop has already
|
| that has died because it has not received
| |
| | expired. Similarly, bedsores are also
|
| sufficient oxygen from the body. Since
| |
| | caused by prolonged exposure of the skin
|
| blood carries oxygen to all parts of our
| |
| | to moisture. It is no wonder then that
|
| body, a bedsore is developed when the
| |
| | patients who are left to sit for hours in
|
| blood vessels that feed the skin are
| |
| | urine soaked diapers and sheets quickly
|
| compressed or damaged in some manner.
| |
| | develop bedsores in places that go
|
| The compression or damage prevents the
| |
| | unnoticed by the nursing home staff and
|
| blood from reaching the skin and the skin
| |
| | family members alike. Sadly, the
|
| cells begin to die. If the blood supply
| |
| | situation spirals out of control and the
|
| continues to be damaged or compromised,
| |
| | resident suffers because the staff could
|
| more tissue will die. Eventually, the
| |
| | not make time to provide them with dry
|
| blood supply compromise can infect the
| |
| | diapers and sheets.
|
| underlying tissue, bones and joints. It
| |
| | So, what should patients do to prevent
|
| takes as little as two (2) hours of
| |
| | these devastating injuries? Fortunately,
|
| sustained blood flow compromise to begin
| |
| | nursing homes fear the civil tort system
|
| this process.
| |
| | where juries can hold them financially
|
| Bedsores are common in the lower back,
| |
| | accountable for failing to follow the
|
| buttocks and on other boney protrusions
| |
| | guidelines. Family members should not
|
| that routinely come in contact with a
| |
| | hesitate to seek legal advice if their
|
| patient's bed. Although every patient in
| |
| | loved one develops a bedsore. In
|
| a nursing home is susceptible to
| |
| | addition, family members should go to the
|
| bedsores, the majority of cases are
| |
| | web, print up several copies of the
|
| easily preventable. The United States
| |
| | guidelines and bring them to the nursing
|
| Department of Health and Human Services
| |
| | home. Family members should sit down
|
| has published clinical guidelines for
| |
| | with the nursing home's medical director
|
| bedsore prevention since 1992.
| |
| | to ensure that the guidelines are being
|
| These guidelines can be found at In
| |
| | followed with respect to their loved one.
|
| addition, all nursing homes are required
| |
| | They should leave a copy of the
|
| to enact, publish, and follow similar
| |
| | guidelines prominently displayed on the
|
| guidelines to prevent bedsores. Despite
| |
| | resident's bedside table. Finally,
|
| longstanding published guidelines, why is
| |
| | family members should follow-up in
|
| it then that nursing home patients
| |
| | writing asking the director of medicine
|
| continue to develop bedsores resulting in
| |
| | and nursing if the guidelines are being
|
| hospitalizations, medical complications
| |
| | followed on an every other-day basis.
|
| and, in some instances, death?
| |
| | The real key is involvement. Family
|
| Basically, the failure of healthcare
| |
| | members cannot sit back and blindly trust
|
| facilities to employ enough qualified
| |
| | that their loved ones are in good hands.
|
| staff members is the primary reason for
| |
| | Most residents are already in poor health
|
| the high incidents of bedsores.
| |
| | when they enter a nursing home facility.
|
| Typically, licensed practical nurses that
| |
| | Therefore, any neglect can have serious
|
| work in a nursing home setting are less
| |
| | physical consequences. It is only by
|
| experienced and cheaper to employ when
| |
| | being a patient advocate in the manner
|
| compared to registered nurses.
| |
| | set forth above that family members can
|
| Furthermore, the resident to nurse ratio
| |
| | ensure that their loved one is receiving
|
| is very high. The nurses are simply
| |
| | the federally and state mandated required
|
| unable to spend the necessary amount of
| |
| | bedsore prevention care.
|
| time with each patient to ensure that the
| |
| |
|