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