California Elder Law Attorney Blog

In recent years, Assisted Living facilities have evolved by providing a new "resort-style "quality of independent living standard for seniors. Hence, bedsores, or the medical term, decubitus ulcer, isn't exactly a topic you think of when considering the dream facility for yourself or a loved one.

Many assisted living facilities however have special care units on premise that provide Alzheimer, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitative and Hospice care services. Their residents have access to specialized, skilled nursing and other services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, laboratory services, and use of other health-related equipment. These on premise units offer care for the less ambulatory residents and those with serious illnesses.

Bedsores owe their name to the observation that patients, who were bedridden and not properly repositioned, would often develop ulcerations or sores on their skin, typically over bony prominences.

Decubitus Ulcers are localized areas of tissue injury that develop when soft tissue is compressed between a bony prominence, (a hip for example) and an external surface for prolonged periods. The external surface may be a mattress, a chair or wheelchair, or even other parts of the body.

The soft tissues of the body, such as skin and muscle, depend upon blood vessels to carry nutrients to the tissues, and to remove waste products. Bedsores result when prolonged pressure prevents sufficient blood flow to supply the tissues with nutrients. The resulting bedsore represents the death of the involved soft tissues.

Continue reading "Bed Sores Are More Likely To Occur With Bedridden Less Ambulatory Elders" »

Here is a list of warning signs that your loved one may be the victim of nursing home negligence, neglect, or abuse:

Bedsores, Pressure Sores;or decubitus ulcers:

Unexplained bruises or injuries Inappropriate use of restraints:

Failure to turn patients in bed or move them from wheelchairs, causingDecubitus ulcers, Pressure Sores or bedsores:

Slip and fall accidents due to staff inattention Malnutrition Dehydration:

Unexplained injury such as fracture Failure to use bedrails, resulting in falls Medication Errors

Needless to say, nursing home neglect is a dangerous situation that should be addressed as quickly as possible. Put your nursing home negligence case in the steady and caring hands of California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven C. Peck. The firm has years of experience with California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect nursing home law. We also experienced in handling wrongful death actions against nursing homes.

Continue reading "Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect" »

Here is a list of warning signs that your loved one may be the victim of nursing home negligence, neglect, or abuse:

Bedsores, Pressure Sores;or decubitus ulcers:

Unexplained bruises or injuries Inappropriate use of restraints:

Failure to turn patients in bed or move them from wheelchairs, causingDecubitus ulcers, Pressure Sores or bedsores:

Slip and fall accidents due to staff inattention Malnutrition Dehydration:

Unexplained injury such as fracture Failure to use bedrails, resulting in falls Medication Errors

Needless to say, nursing home neglect is a dangerous situation that should be addressed as quickly as possible. Put your nursing home negligence case in the steady and caring hands of California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven C. Peck. The firm has years of experience with California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect nursing home law. We also experienced in handling wrongful death actions against nursing homes.

Continue reading "Warning Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect" »

Los Angeles, California: Nursing Home Neglect: 5 Signs of Abuse:
There are thousands of California residents that reside in nursing homes or other assisted-living facilities. Whether due to sickness or disability, these individuals are often very vulnerable to abuse from their staff or other residents. It is important that you do your part to make sure that your family members are not being subjected to nursing home malpractice. Here are 5 signs of nursing home abuse:

1) Bed sores. Decubitus ulcers, or bed sores, occur when a person if left lying in a fixed position for an extended period of time without proper movement. The pressure on the skin causes ulcers to form and, over time, these can turn into infected areas and ulcers that can be life threatening. Regular bathing and proper movement and repositioning can preven most bed sores.

2) Unusual bruises. If your loved one is incapicated or can't move without assistance, bruises are often associated with some sort of abuse. For those who can't care for themselves, it is important that their caretakers be trained in proper ways to move and carry the patient to preven falls or bruises.

3) Problems with medication. If you notice that your loved one is going through his or her medication too slowly or quickly, there may be a problem with the way medicaion is administered. Overmedication is sometimes a tactic used by nursing homes to keep the residents docile or immobile. Make sure to keep track of medication.

4) Sudden weight loss. If someone loses weight suddenly, it may be due to malnutrition or dehydration. Incapacitated persons may not be able to communicate their needs to you or their caretakers. Their caretakers, however, are paid to make sure that the residents are fed regularly and given fluids.

5) Unsanitary or unclean conditions. No matter a person's condition, he or she deserves to have basic needs taken care of including regular bathing and changing of sheets and clothes. If you notice foul odors coming from a resident's body, bed or room, it is likely that the nursing home has failed to provide adequate service.

Continue reading "Five Signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect" »

Signs or symptoms of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect can include pressure ulcers, pressure ulcers, infections, dehydration, malnutrition, unexplained illnesses, undetected or misdiagnosed disease, slide and covered accidents, medical errors, inadequate physical limitation, uncontrolled pain and injury related data and / or death of residents.

Nursing home abuse can occur because of inadequate staffing, inexperienced staff, less training, negligent supervision and patient isolation. When the industry minimum standards for care are not met, interested parties can be held liable for damage caused by nursing home abuse and neglect says California Elder Abuse Attorney Steven C. Peck.

Nursing home operator Skilled Healthcare has been ordered to pay more than $671 million for failing to provide adequate staffing at its assisted-living facilities.

A Humboldt California County jury returned the verdict Tuesday in the class-action lawsuit against the Foothill Ranch-based company, more than seven months after the civil trial began.

The lawsuit alleges that the company violated a California statue that mandates 3.2 nursing hours per patient per day.

Skilled Healthcare said the jury imposed $613 million in statutory damages and $58 million in damages for restitution. The jury will decide the extent of punitive damages next week.

"This is a really strong statement to Skilled Healthcare that they have to follow the law," said plaintiff's attorney Michael Thamer. "They need to know that they are going to be held responsible."

Skilled Healthcare Chairman and CEO Boyd Hendrickson said in a statement that the company is "deeply disappointed" in the verdict and believes its nursing homes are appropriately staffed.

"We strongly disagree with the outcome of this legal matter, and we intend to vigorously challenge it," he said.

The judge will decide later whether to issue an injunction that would require Skilled Healthcare to keep staffing levels in compliance with the law.

The complaint covers the period from 2003 to 2009 and represents about 32,000 patients at 22 facilities, including five in Humboldt County.

Skilled Healthcare is one of the country's largest nursing home chains, operating 78 nursing facilities in seven states and employing about 14,000 people.

Cindy Cool, who testified on behalf of her father, a patient at Eureka Healthcare and Rehabilitation before he died from complications of Alzheimer's disease, said she hopes the lawsuit will improve conditions for future patients.

"I'm so thankful for this," Cool said. "We just want our loved ones to be taken care of."

Continue reading "Skilled Nursing Facilities Ordered to Pay Record $ 671 Million For Understaffing" »

Contractures are a medical condition where a joint is held in a fixed position due to the shortening of a muscle or tendon due to stress exerted on the muscle or spasticity (uncontrolled muscle movement). Older patients and those with limited mobility are especially prone to develop contractures. Contractures most commonly form in the hands, feet, arms and legs.

Once an individual has developed contractures, little can be done to alleviate the problem aside from aggressive orthopedic surgery. Consequently, medical facilities (hospitals and nursing homes) should provide physical and occupational therapy to people who are at risk for developing contractures and to keep the body flexible.

Once a person has developed contractures they are at a heightened risk for developing bed sores, pressure sores also known as decubitus ulcers due to their bodies limited ability to move- with or without assistance. The rigidity that accompanies contractures generally means that many of the repositioning techniques commonly used to prevent bed sores, pressure sores and decubitus ulcers may be unfeasible. As a general rule, the more immobile an individual is, the higher likelihood they have in developing bed sores, pressures sores and decubitus ulcers and may be a case against any facility for neglect.

What are contractures? People who are physically inactive for long periods of time are at risk for developing contractures. Obviously, many nursing home residents suffer from inactivity due to mental infirmities or physical limitations. As a direct result of physical inactivity and the failure to regularly move a limb or joint through its full range of motion, muscle fibers begin to break down and joints begin to stiffen, which can lead to the affected limb slowly pulling toward the body and becoming rigid. It is not uncommon to see nursing home residents with contracted hands, arms, or legs, oftentimes leaving them in the "fetal position" making it very difficult to give them the care they require.

Are contractures preventable? Contractures are very painful and the process of restoring a person's range of motion can be excruciating. Consequently, prevention is substantially better than restoration. Sadly, many nursing home residents who suffer from contractions do so because some nursing home facilities lack a sufficient number of staff members or the staff members fail to provide the proper preventive measures. To prevent contractures, the nursing staff should properly assess the resident's risk for contractures and implement an individualized care plan. The purpose of the care plan is to make all nurses aware of the methods to use for that particular resident to prevent the resident from developing contractures. Periodically, the resident should be re-assessed and an updated care plan prepared, if needed.

Using the following methods can help prevent or lessen the severity of contractures:

EXERCISE

Range of motion exercises are arguably the most important weapon in preventing contractures. For residents in nursing homes, facility staff need to take the time to properly exercise and stretch the limbs and joints of immobile residents. Passive range of motion exercises (those which involve gently rotating the at-risk body parts clockwise and counterclockwise) should be performed at least twice a day. For example, to prevent hand contractures, each finger should be gently stretched and rotated as far as possible. Properly trained nurses and nurse aides should understand the dangers of contractures, the simple exercises that can be done to prevent them and the short amount of time it takes to perform these exercises. Nurse aides can perform some of these exercises while bathing the individual or while changing their clothes. Physical therapists, obviously, are more aware of the dangers of contractures and the exercises used to prevent them. For those residents at risk of developing contractures, nurses should seek assistance from the physical therapy staff.

POSITIONING

The position of nursing home residents is crucial. If a nursing home resident can sit in a chair, staff should make sure that the resident is properly seated with their feet resting comfortably on a flat surface, such as a foot lift. Dangling feet can lead to "tip-toe" contractures. To prevent leg contractures, the resident should not be allowed to sleep with her legs in a bent or twisted position. Rather, pillows or cushions should be placed between the legs to help prevent contractures.

SPLINTING

Splinting devices can be very useful in helping prevent painful and debilitating contractures. Examples of such devices include special boots and wrist splints can be used to help prevent fingers and toes from drawing up and stiffening. Knee and elbow braces are also an option to help keep those joints from stiffening in place, but will still allow the resident free range of motion.

Contractures can develop quickly and frequently affect the hands, feet, legs, and arms. In the event of a person who has severely contracted, restoration, if possible, can take up to one year and can be an excruciating process of the affected person. Splinting devices can help prevent your loved one from having to go through the pain of trying to reverse contractures.

If you have a loved one who is at risk for contractures or who has contractures, what should the nursing staff do?

According to nurse Suzanne Frederick, "Nurses should follow the nursing process by properly assessing the resident's risk for contractures and implementing an individualized care plan to prevent and/or treat the limited range of motion or contracture. Once a resident is recognized as at risk for contractures through proper assessments, the nursing staff should implement a range of motion exercise program for the resident based on his/her functional ability. The consistent implementation of the range of motion exercise program should be documented in order to evaluate the resident's response to this treatment."

In addition to common sense nursing practices, nursing homes should follow the federal regulations that apply to residents who have or who are at risk for contractures. For example, federal regulation 42 CFR §483.25(e)(2) states:

"Based on the comprehensive assessment of a resident, the facility must ensure
that -- A resident with a limited range of motion receives appropriate treatment and
services to increase range of motion and/or to prevent further decrease in range of
motion."

If you have a loved one who is at risk for contractures or who has contractures, what should you do?

• Insist that your loved one receive stretching exercises twice daily.
• Insist that all necessary preventive devices are used.
• Visit often and make sure that staff members are attentive to the needs of your loved one.
• Be respectful, but firm that your loved one receives the care they deserve.

Unlike some problems and physical limitations that can be easily reversed, contractures are an especially troublesome issue given the difficulty associated with reversing the process. Family members should not hesitate to ensure that their loved ones receive the care they need and are required.
(Taken From Jon Rosenfled's Elder Abuse blog)

What is happening inside of our nursing homes and inside of our physical rehabilitation centers today would shock the average person. Right now, today, while you sit in your comfortable home reading this, someone your age, someone of your background is suffering at the hands of unscrupulous staff in nursing homes and in physical rehabilitation and care centers right in your own city.

In a recent matter, an elder women was put into a hospital due to bedsores. The home-health care agency that was in charge of trying to help her and keeping her safe, neglected to turn her or move her every two hours and as a result of that neglect, this woman was hospitalized when the bedsores got so bad they were life-threatening. Would you think that a sore could be life-threatening.? Yes, and this is especially so to seniors, fragile , ill people and to disabled people. This woman recently died. And she died not from illness, but from needing to be hospitalized due to horrible bedsores.

What permits this to go on? Sometimes it is indifference but most times what permits the abuses to go on is that people are not aware that this is happening. This article brings it to light, brings it to your attention and begs your participation in changing things for better and asks you to take small steps to save a life today.

As you are reading this, pause for just one moment and let me ask you this question: Are you one of those people who do not or will not believe that people are being treated so horribly in America? If you are, give yourself and everyone else the benefit of the doubt and read the article that is listed inside this link near the bottom of the page. Also, if you know any doctors, ask them if they would put ANY family members inside of a nursing home. You will have your answer there.

One of the biggest reasons that residents get more unhealthy and sometimes die in nursing homes is due to bedsores. And usually bedsores are a direct result from lack of care, lack of good nursing home management and supervision and under-staffing of rehabilitation and care centers. In other words, the management in these places is so lacking and so inexperienced at keeping people healthy, that they do not keep proper track of how often patients are moved and changed from side to side. Once residents are allowed to lay still for hours at a time, these patients develop sores, which most times never heal. Most times, these sores can be life-threatening. How? If a resident has diabetes or other serious physical ailments, these sores can cause the patient to be more unhealthy and unhealthy to the point where they can reach near death. And the horrible truth is that ALL of these sores are totally unnecessary and totally avoidable. All the rehab and care centers and nursing homes have to do is to turn patients and move patients every two hours and document such moves. However the bad rehab and care centers and bad nursing homes just let the patients rot immobile until they develop sores.

How do they get away with doing that? Here is what they do. They allow the patient to rot in bed, bringing breakfast and other meals to the room, not encouraging the patient to come out to the dining room. Then once they rot in bed, they begin to be able to not move or turn themselves. This happens over time to patients in these bad centers. Once they cannot move themselves, they are getting worse, more unhealthy and sometimes die due to ulcers and bedsores.

Injury happens; patients may need amputations due to bedsores if they develop into gangrene. And then the cycle goes over and over until the person dies. And the bad rehab and care centers get away with this action. And today, they are getting away with it over and over and over. How? They are getting away with it because many patients have no visitor that can see what the place is doing to the resident. And the really bad places try their best to stop the other patients from having visitors. What can you do about this?

You can help also by reading ALL the articles that talk about negligence and malpractice inside nursing homes. Print these articles here and have them circulated inside of libraries and other stores that give you permission to put these articles out there. If you are store owner, kindly post this article on your bulletin board and pass it around the colleges and other schools. Thank you for saving lives. If you work in a nursing home, I urge you to copy this and bring it inside the nursing home and circulate it amongst family members and visitors. Please spread the word. You can do this anonymously. Leave it in bathrooms in a safe place. Place one in peoples' rooms , of course with their permission. But spread this word about what is happening inside of these bad rehab and care centers and nursing homes. Pass the world, just like they passed the word about concentration camps, spread it person to person, business to business. Thank you, read more here.

The average person would wince if they knew the truth. The truth is that each and every day, there are nursing homes and physical rehabilitation and care centers that make people sick. Instead of helping the patients get better, they allow them to vegetate. When elder care abuse occurs in the nursing home or physical rehabilitation and care centers across the nation, that abuse is more apt to be "covered up" because there are entire teams of people to do the covering up. In other words, something happens inside of a rehabilitation and care center or nursing home; it happens at "one level" -- for example, inside a patient's room or in the bathroom or other solitary places, and only that staff person sees what that staff person is doing or has done.

Once this abuse is "discovered" within the physical rehabilitation center or nursing home -it is the nursing home's "job" to see that this abuse is not 'let out " to the public. After all, the staff, in reality is there to protect the nursing home's image and to protect the nursing home's finances and future FIRST -before they are there to protect the patients. Anyone who has been behind the scenes and inside of nursing homes can see that in most places or in lots of nursing homes -the staff does just that - protects staff and the corporation from social and financial losses.

One of the worst abuses that some rehabilitation and care centers commit are those abuses where they permit patients (who are able) to recline in bed all day just because it is easier for the staff to do that. Patients who come into the center in fair condition begin to lose muscle because they are permitted to recline in bed for many long hours during the day and night. These abuses are intolerable yet they still exist today in some centers and nursing homes.

Wheelchairs as Restraints: Another of the worst abuses in bad nursing homes is when they use wheelchairs as restraints. Wheelchairs are supposed to make residents lives easier and happier. They are not supposed to be used as restraints, but in the bad nursing homes and in the bad rehabilitation and care centers, the wheelchairs are restraints. Most of the residents on their long term care floor are basically prisoners and they wait for hours to go to the bathroom even though they are fully aware they have to go and they tell residents they have to go.

Most times, in these offending rehab centers, the residents are forced to wear diapers even if they do not want to wear a diaper. Would you want to wear a diaper if you did not need to wear one? No. But in the offending rehab centers, the residents are forced to wear them. Their other choice is to sit in their wet, cold clothing for hours and hours (because no staff brings them to the bathroom). The staff keeps the residents in wheelchairs and diapers as a matter of control, and as a matter of less work for them. (If a resident has no clean clothes, the resident (bound to his wheelchair cannot come out of the room and stays isolated in there). Once they are bound to their room, the staff has less work. That is one less resident that they have to care for. So watch out for places that use the wheelchair as restraints, because most likely they will use diapers for their convenience, even though some patients do not need nor do they want to be in diapers.

Discern: What is the difference between a place that is using wheelchairs as restraints and one that uses wheelchairs only when necessary? Look around. Go into many of the homes to visit. If you see tons of people in wheelchairs, just sitting around for hours (not for minutes), then you know that place is using wheelchairs as restraints. They make the people in wheelchairs wait and wait and wait and wait for ordinary living things like having meals or going to the bathroom. The good place that uses wheelchairs only when necessary has residents in wheelchairs too, except the residents do not have to wait for hours and hours to go to the bathroom. The waiting time is cut down, yet in the offending places, the waiting time is prolonged until no human being could wait that long.

Good verses Bad: That is the difference. And you will know as soon as you walk in whether the home really cares for residents or whether the home is just out to make money no matter what the residents feel like or look like. In the offending homes it is all about money. In the good homes, it is all about making residents and families comfortable. No one is making a blanket statement against all nursing home. However, the people who work inside of these nursing homes and care centers are well aware of what is happening. . This article is about the ones that are lacking in care, lacking in respect and about the ones that are daily breaking the law and on a daily basis violating the residents, patients and visitors' rights. There have been cases where staff inside of physical rehabilitation centers and nursing homes have purposely covered-up wrong-doings to protect their own jobs and to continue to collect money from insurance for the benefit of the corporations that owned the rehab centers and nursing homes.

Now, here's the news breakers that you might want to notice:

Inside some Nursing Homes and Physical Rehabilitation and Care Centers:

•There are some residents and patients who have to wait an HOUR or more or sometimes two hours in order to go to the bathroom. Sometimes when residents complain about the treatment or complain about the lack of care, the residents are punished for speaking out. This is why you will not hear the complaints of the residents who are presently inside these nursing homes and physical rehabilitation and care centers.
•There are some residents who are emotionally forced into wearing diapers because the staff lets them wait so long to go to the bathroom and the residents know this and thus they have to wear diapers against their will OR they have to sit in wet clothing for hours because no one can or will take them to the bathroom when they NEED to go to the bathroom
•There are sometimes walls of people in wheelchairs in the corridors. Some residents are put in 'recliner-type' wheelchairs which they cannot move. Some sit for hours and hours in a corridor with no one around. They are left in these chairs unattended, unable to move, unable to get out of the chair; they sit and just hope that someone passes by. Then, when and if they are permitted to have visitors, the place changes "atmosphere" and the staff makes it appear as if these residents are actually getting attention and care.
•There are some residents who are very afraid to speak up or to complain about these places because they have to be there all alone with the staff and SOMETIMES there are some staff who will retaliate against residents who complain about anything that happens behind the closed doors of these facilities. Speaking out is a punishable offense (though it is not legal, it still happens). Patients and residents are being punished for speaking out. Visitors and family members are being punished for speaking out. And this is the very reason why society needs to continue to speak out - for the protection of residents all over the United States of America and all over the world.
•There is a majority of staff -against a small amount of family members, so when it comes to complaining to staff, when family complains "verbally" , those complaints are and will be ignored; and when family complains in writing, those families are retaliated against and the facilities illegally stop visitors on false trumped up charges.
These are just a few of the horrible things that happen inside of some physical rehabilitation and care centers and some nursing homes , today and every day, or every other day. Yet, none of this is put in the newspapers. None of this is made public because families and residents and patients are afraid of further retaliation. So, where does the buck stop? Who can help these residents and families. What can you do about these horrible injustices? How can we help those people inside of nursing homes and inside of physical rehabilitation centers?So, how do you help change lives? How do you change the system that is damaging many seniors and disabled individuals? How can you look inside of a nursing home and or rehabilitation and care center and bring care to those that might not be receiving care? You can help and you can help today. YOU, yes YOU -- can make a big difference in this world today.Read and learn how you can help in this world today, help residents, help patients and help save a life today!

Beginning steps:

•Get together with your local community organizations and or churches or synagogues
•BRING this to their attention, and ask that a committee be formed. Have that committee arrange to go inside of nursing homes and into physical rehabilitation and care centers. Have them write and or call and ask for permission to bring visitors and programs inside of the facilities.
•Organize holiday concerts or programs that you can bring in during regular days, weekdays and weekends into any of these residences.
•Approach your local nursing homes and rehab centers and tell them that you want to help the residents become connected on the internet so they can contact their families which are usually in other states or countries.
•BRING as many visitors as you can bring in to visit these patients and residents, (Ask permission from relatives and then sign in at the security desk of the nursing home. Tell them what you are there for and they should lead you to where you are due).
Why You Would Want to Help:

Here is what we observed while visiting a physical rehabilitation and care center in the United States:

•Have you ever noticed that when the supervisors knew that visitors would be coming into the place, there seemed to be a 'mysterious' burst of extra employees and extra care and extra attention to residents while the visitors where inside the building. On ordinary days, when there usually was a lack of care or negligence due to lack of staff or missing staff or staff that just wasn't there or staff that was overworked -- that was the situation, but somehow , when the visitors were inside the building, there was an abundance (compared to regular days) of staff and everyone "seemed" to be attentive to residents and nicer to residents because they were putting on the "show' for the public.
•Have you ever noticed that once the visitors left the building (most visitors left even though there were many hours of visiting hours left , so one or two visitors remained), that the staff mysteriously got 'busy' somewhere else, and that is the time when residents were forced to wait one or two hours to be brought to the bathroom. If a resident needed a bathroom while a visitor is present, somehow that resident was able to get to the bathroom (while witnesses were there), but once all the visitors left -- the residents went back to having lack of care and to some possible negligence and or malpractice.
•One family member even overheard that one resident simply walked out of the rehabilitation center and the staff was not even aware that she was missing until she had gone miles from the place. No one noticed that this lady was missing! Imagine that? They were so busy doing other things, that they didn't have time to keep an eye out for a patient who obviously needed to be watched and cared for.
•Family members have told me that sometimes the staff made certain residents 'cry', that these residents were not crying when the visitors were there (there are witnesses when visitors come into these places). And no staff wants a resident crying or complaining while the visitors are present.
•Some have noticed that in some places, supervisors and administrators lie right to the faces of family. We noticed that most of the staff diligently covers up what happens as soon as they want to cover it up. We noticed many things that we cannot type here. But trust that it is all true.
If you visit and stay long enough inside some facilities, you will see that some facilities are guilty of lack of care -- at the minimum and guilty of more than that probably to this very day. Inside some nursing homes and inside some physical rehabilitation centers some residents are totally helpless and can not find anyone to complain to. effectively to (Even though the law provides avenues of complaints and even though the law provides departments and organizations that residents "CAN" complain to) Some of the residents are totally helpless and cannot safely and healthily make legitimate complaints about lack of care , so they remain there in their sad situation. The residents know that they have to stay there and that it is not easy or almost impossible to get out of there, so they are stuck with their complaints and stuck with their situations until visitors come to see them.

Help Save Lives and Help Change Lives Forever, try these:

•Ask your co-workers to form a team that will visit individual residents in places like these. Contact the caregivers and family members of the residents and tell them that you would like to begin visits to that nursing home and ask their permission to visit their family members who reside in those places.
•Ask your boss to begin a program where you work that will enable your workers to visit people inside of nursing homes.
•If you know Geraldo Rivera or if you know any other journalists or media people personally, ask them to help uncover the injustices that are happening on a daily basis throughout nursing homes in Staten Island, NY, and all along the east and west coast. Ask anyone you know that has finances or community backing to help you begin to organize groups of people that will legally go into nursing homes to visit people. Contact us if you need names of nursing homes that can use your help in saving lives.
•Advertise and seek out voluntary lawyers and legal professionals to help families deal with the red tape that some of the offending nursing homes and physical rehab centers dish out to families and residents who make legitimate complaints.
•IF you know anyone who does radio shows or tv shows, ask them for free time to talk about the abuse that happens inside of nursing homes, and ask them to put a call out to lawyers and to other professionals who will help to work for social change inside of nursing homes.
•ASK everyone you know to go and visit inside of nursing homes whenever and where ever possible. (always check with the families first and always obtain permission.
•Go through your community and ask all families who have people inside of these facilities if you have permission to write to these seniors. Donate stamps and envelopes to seniors and write back and forth to them. Keep them connected. This is extremely important. Ask the families if you can telephone these seniors or disabled individuals and then do that once you gain permission.
•If you are phoning someone at a nursing home and they never answer the pay phone, document that fully. Document how many times the phones ring and document how many hours or days or weeks it takes you to actually reach the resident.
•All of the above information will be quite helpful at Congressional and public hearings when they come up. You can save lives and you can change conditions. Please help in all these community projects.
•Write to us to share your ideas about what you or your organization are doing to help things get better. Share your information . You can help.
BY doing any and all of these things you will help change the conditions inside of nursing homes. Here's another way you can help. Be in contact with residents inside of these places. Reach out to isolated patients via email and via telephone calls. Contact is what changes things inside of nursing homes and inside of physical rehab and care centers. Contact someone today to begin your own project.

Here are people to contact:

1.Contact your Senator or your Congressman to ask for public hearings regarding the conditions inside of nursing homes and rehab centers. (When discussing the problems inside of nursing homes be sure to emphasize that you are speaking about physical rehabilitation and care centers also. These problems are not only restricted to nursing homes). When speaking of the issues, remember to use that wording "rehabilitation and care centers" or rehabilitation centers. This will make your investigations and reports more complete than if you just speak about nursing homes.
2.Contact any of your local community organizations and ask for help in changing conditions "behind the walls" of nursing homes. Go to your local community leaders and ask them where you can go to for help. Reach out to everyone you know in your neighborhood and ask for referrals. You will find the right person to help if you just keep asking as many people as you can ask.
3.Contact other families in your communities. Contact them through PTA meetings and contact them through business improvement meetings and contact them through various meetings that happen in your community. Once you contact them ask EVERYONE to participate in some way to help isolated nursing home residents. Ask some to write letters to Congress or to the Mayor. Ask others to contact patients' families and ask permission to visit. Ask the professionals, doctors, nurses and lawyers to come forth and say the truth about what happens behind the closed doors of those places. You can do it. You can help!
4.If you know a lawyer, or a professional worker, enlist them to help in this campaign against nursing home and physical rehabilitation centers abuses and malpractices.
Some simple ways you can help: First, Believe!

In order to help, you must believe. You will hear some incredible stories and they are true stories. You need to be able to listen to them and then to assure the patients or residents that you do believe what they are saying. This is some of the most valuable help that you can give someone -- first, believe. You can help by believing the resident. Once inside these places, when residents complain to their families about the mistreatment or lack of care, the first thing that some families respond with is 'disbelief" . After all, who would want to believe that PAID staff is not caring for their relatives. Who would want to believe that they put their relatives in a place that is possibly mistreating the relatives.

The best way you can help is believing the words of the residents when they complain that the nursing home staff is giving them lack of care or giving them abuse., believe them. Do not think that they are making up stories. Believe them. They are in no position to make up stories. They do not want to complain. They are afraid to complain about staff . So believe them. They feel safer complaining when you are there visiting them. So that's why they mention it to you. And then once you leave , they are left to stay there. So believe them. Take them at their word. That's how you can help. There are things happening inside of those centers that should not happen, yet they are there to witness it , and when you do not believe their words, when you doubt them, you take their hearts and dispose of them. So believe them. If someone is complaining to you about conditions inside of a facility, go and ask your Pastor, Priest or Rabbi how the community and how the church can help the residents. Please reach out to these people who need help. You can save a life today!

Handling the red tape of refusals:

•Diligently document times, dates, days, places and the people that you speak with. Put all your requests in writing to help document. For example, write a very friendly letter stating that you want to come in and entertain or be with residents as part of your community project or school project. Tell them when you would like to visit (and try to arrange these projects during times when there are no visiting hours). When the facility refuses to let you entertain the residents or visit with residents, later ask to do the same - visiting- during regular visiting hours.
•Document each and every request for each and every visit to each facility. Note the name and time and date of your request - and the name of the person that you speak with. Focus on one facility at a time. You can begin with those in the largest cities and work to those out in the country. We need help sending visitors into East Coast cities - those nursing homes that seem the hardest-hit. If there is any facility who refuses to cooperate , or any that seem to be hiding something, it would appear that those would be the ones needing the most help and the most visitors. (Connect with your lawyers and investigators in your own cities to see what kinds of help you can receive).Obtain permissions from any of the families and from any of the residents and patients that you wish to visit. And do this all year round. Visitors are needed every single day of the year, and especially on weekends.
•If you are in a position of political power, think about your own relatives who someday might wind up in a nursing home or rehab center. If you think you can avoid this malpractice by sending them to a good fancy home, you are mistaken. What affects one person affects all people. Please help spread the world.
For some interesting readings and reviews about nursing homes and about hospitals, check this site Please send visitors into your local rehab care centers and nursing homes today. They need as many visitors as possible. If you are a family member of a resident, ask all of your friends, relatives, co-workers and others to visit the patient. The more visitors, the better; have visitors taking turns, shifts and that will best protect the resident. I know it is hard to do this, but wherever possible, do it, and you will help better the quality of care inside of that particular rehabilitation and care center by sending more visitors inside the walls of that place.Please contact us and keep in touch so we can all benefit from your ideas and suggestions on these matters. Be sure to read part two of this article which is being posted as you read this. I need to hear from you. You can help improve conditions inside of nursing homes even if your nursing home stay was more than a year ago or five years ago. Your comments are so important to everyone. Kindly let me hear from you. Thank you. Author Melinda Thomas.

Continue reading "Bedsores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers Are Caused By A Lack of Care and Nursing Home Management" »

Involuntary weight loss and dehydration, among other risk factors, are associated with pressure ulcer development among residents in long-term medical care facilities, according to the National Pressure Ulcer Long-Term Care Study (NPULS). Pressure ulcers have a major impact on the care and costs associated with residents receiving long-term care.

According to the study, 2 nutrition-related risk factors are key points in the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Involuntary weight loss was associated with an increased risk of 74%, and dehydration was associated with an increased risk of 42%. In addition, the data identify pressure relief management, incontinence management, and missing diet information on medical records as other primary considerations.

Many residents in long-term care facilities, home care patients, and elderly patients experience involuntary weight loss. Studies have demonstrated that up to 85% of residents in nursing homes are malnourished and prone to significant weight loss and severe complications, which include Bed Sores, Pressure Sores also known as Decubitus Ulcers.

Data was collected by medical teams for 12 weeks and covered more than 500 variables, including medications, pressure management, nutritional status and interventions, incontinence treatments, and the routine practices of care team members. The study was conducted in 109 facilities and included 2490 residents. The average age of residents was 79.8 years, and all had been receiving long-term care for at least 14 days.

The data showed that risk for the development of Bed Sores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers is also associated with severity of illness, incontinence and catheter use, history of pressure ulcers, diabetes, being male, and dependency in more than 7 activities of daily living. In addition, a higher staff-to-resident ratio was associated with a lower risk of Bed Sore, Pressure Sore and Decubitus Ulcer development.

"These data are very important given the aging population and increasing numbers of residents requiring long-term care," ."Anyone who considers placing a family member in long-term care should know about prevention and treatment of Bed Sores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers", says California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven C. Peck.

Bed Sores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers are one of the top 5 issues facing long-term care facilities. More than 1.8 million people develop pressure ulcers each year. These potentially devastating ulcers cost an estimated $1.3 billion annually in the United States and can expose facilities to litigation.

Bed Sores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers are lesions caused by unrelieved pressure on the skin that result in damage to underlying tissue. In their most severe stage, they involve full-thickness skin loss with extensive destruction and damage to muscle, bone, or supporting structures and can be associated with increased morbidity.

Continue reading "Involuntary Weight Loss and Dehydration Cause Bed Sores, Pressure Sores, and Decubitus Ulcers To Resident In Long Term Care Facilities" »

Nursing home abuse happens on a daily basis, even in the smallest and friendliest of California cities and towns. Those to whom we entrust our loved ones' health often take advantage of their positions as nursing home nurses, aides, or caretakers. Our own family members may be facing mistreatment, abuse, or degradation -- but we don't have to sit back and wait for bad news says California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven C. Peck.

If you suspect a nursing home or other elder care facility is not caring for your loved one properly, you have elder abuse laws on your side. The trick may lie in discovering signs of abuse, pinpointing their causes, and proving that mistreatment occurred.

Nursing home abuse can range from verbal abuse to physical abuse and neglect. Here, the lines may seem fuzzy for residents and family members, especially if there are no physical signs of harm.

Here are just a few of the common signs of abuse or neglect:

· Bruises, cuts, scrapes, welts, and chaffing

· Broken bones, cracked ribs, and other physical injuries

· Bedsores

· Depression and attitude changes

· Weight loss

· Refusal to take visitors

· Shyness or withdrawn behavior, lack of social interaction, and lack of enthusiasm

· Medication errors

· Unsanitary conditions or poor personal hygiene

· Infections

· Dehydration or nutritional deficits

· Unexplained sedation or medical procedures performed without consent

Continue reading "Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Happens Everywhere" »

Too often, we hear that nursing home residents develop bed sores without really understanding what has happened to them. The terms "bed sore", "pressure ulcer" and "decubitus ulcer" mean the same thing and are used to describe any skin lesion or wound caused by unrelieved pressure that damages the underlying tissue. The term is one that fails to adequately describe how terrible these wounds are. Left untreated, these injuries can become infected and result in the amputation of a limb, or even death says California Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Steven C. Peck.

These wounds are graded on a scale from I to IV, with a grade I ulcer being a minor reddening of the skin and grade IV being an open wound with exposed muscle or bone. Stage III and Stage IV pressure ulcers have serious health consequences for nursing home residents because they involved major interruptions in the integrity of the skin. This can allow infecting organisms such as MRSA into the body and can cause systemic infections. indicates Los Angeles Nursing Home Lawyer Steven C. Peck.

The term "pressure ulcer" fits because they frequently happen on parts of the body where there is pressure between a bony prominence and another surface such as a bed or a chair. The places where pressure ulcers most typically occur include: the tailbone or sacrum, the buttocks, the hips, and the backs of the heels, although pressure ulcers can also occur on other parts of the body.

There are some common conditions which many nursing home residents suffer from leave them vulnerable to developing bed sores or pressure ulcers. These include: immobility, incontinence of bowel or bladder, and poor nutritional status. Even when a nursing home resident suffers from all of these risk factors, that does not mean that they will inevitably develop pressure ulcers. In fact, federal regulations put extensive responsibilities on nursing home to prevent and treat pressure ulcers.

The federal regulations covering nursing homes state that if a resident enters a nursing home without pressure ulcers, they should not develop them unless they are clinically unavoidable. This means that the nursing home staff must do everything possible to prevent the pressure ulcers from developing. Further, once a resident has a pressure ulcer, the federal regulations require the nursing home to provide care to promote healing and prevent infection.

Because the nursing home staff has such extensive responsibilities to prevent and/or treat pressure ulcers, poor care concerning pressure ulcers may be a viable basis for a claim of violations of the California Elder Abuse Dependent Adult Civil Protect Act (EADACPA) against the nursing home. Some theories might include:

• Failure to regularly re-position the resident, leaving one area of the body bearing the pressure of the resident's weight for long periods.
• Failure to provide adequate toileting and clothing changes for residents who are incontinent of bowel or bladder.
• Failure to provide adequate nutrition and fluids; if there is malnutrition and dehydration the skin will be less able to resist injury.

An adequate treatment regimen would include:
• Regular dressing changes
• Application of wound treatments
• Use of nutritional supplements
• Use of a pressure-reducing devices

When proper treatment is not initiated, bedsores frequently do progress and become infected. A full assessment of the treatment plan and its implementation is an important part of assessing the liability of the nursing home for the resident's injuries.

Continue reading "Federal Regulations Covering Nursing Homes State Elder Entering Nursing Home Should Not Develop Decubitus Ulcers, Bed Sores and / or Pressure Sores Unless They Are Clinically Unavoidable" »

Pressure Sores, Bedsore and Decubitus Ulcers are a problem in nursing home facilities. In Fiscal Year 2009, the latest data available, a staggering amount of citations, for skilled nursing facilities, were cited state Department of Health and Welfare for failing to properly care for their residents in such a manner as to prevent or heal pressure sores, bed sores and decubitus ulcers indicates Los Angeles Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven C. Peck.

What is a "pressure sore" and why is this statistic important, you may ask. According to the website "Bed Sore FAQs," a "pressure sore" also known more commonly as a "bed sore" and a "decubitus ulcer" is a condition where a resident's skin is damaged from sustained pressure which stops the flow of blood. Remarkably, according to this blog, this condition can develop from being in a single position for a few hours. One simply way to prevent pressure or bed sores is to simply turn the resident at frequent and regular intervals.

The fact remains, however, pressure sores, bed sores and decubitus ulcers are preventable and are an unnecessary injury sustained by nursing home residents. If you are a resident who cannot move on your own, make sure the facility is providing you adequate care by turning you on a regular basis. If you have a loved one who is a resident of a nursing home, contact the facility and do the same. It is up to you to make sure nursing home facilities do all that is necessary to keep residents safe says California Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Attorney Steven C. Peck.

Nursing home abuse and neglect are often the cause of decubitis ulcers. When a nursing home facility provides a sub-standard level of care by failing to prevent decubitis ulcers, or neglecting to avoid the causes, patients can suffer serious and life threatening injuries. At least 60,000 people die from the complications and causes of decubitis ulcers each year in the United States. People who are vulnerable to developing decubitis ulcers must be frequently moved to avoid development of these sores, and adequately cared for in order to avoid serious injury. That means keeping the areas where pressure occurs (wherever the body rests with the most pressure in a bed - anything from heels and elbows to buttocks, shoulders, the back of the neck, the hips, even the side of the foot or leg. If a person can't move, they need a way to BE moved.

Prevention:

If bedridden or immobile with diabetes, circulation problems, incontinence, spinal problems, bone fractures, or mental disabilities, in addition to intensive care of the skin and keeping areas free from pressure - less than two hours in any given position for any part of the body-the patient should also be checked for pressure sores daily, especially every morning. Look for reddened areas that, when pressed, do not turn white. Also look for blisters, sores, or craters. In addition, take the following steps:

Change position at least every two hours to relieve pressure.

Use items that can help reduce pressure -- pillows, sheepskin, foam padding, and powders from medical supply stores.

Eat healthy, well-balanced meals with extra vitamin C, if possible. Vitamin C helps build tissues..

Exercise daily, including range-of-motion exercises for immobile patients.

Keep skin clean and dry. Persons with incontinence need to take extra steps to limit moisture

THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF THE 100,000 LIMB AMPUTATIONS THAT OCCUR JUST IN THE US IS DECUBITIS ULCERS - the bedsore!

Chronic wounds remain inflamed and may take an inordinate amunt of time to heal - if at all.. These wounds are a major health problem in the United States and throughout the world. The most common chronic wounds are diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers, although other wounds, such as surgical wounds, can also become a source of chronic non-healing.

Diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetics are prone to foot ulcers due to peripheral neuropathy: decreased sensation caused by this condition can result in a cut and trauma to the foot going unnoticed or can result in unusual pressures placed on the foot that are ignored. Diabetic foot ulcers are the most common chronic wound problem in the United States and the world. Some 25% of the 60 million diabetic patients in the United States develop foot ulcers - that's 15 million people--and approximately 100,000 limb amputations are performed in diabetic patients each year in the United States alone. It's an epidemic that has gone virtually unnoticed. It can happen to you.!

Venous leg ulcers
Venous leg ulcers are caused by a failure of valves in the veins of the legs, resulting in congestion and slowing of blood flow. Rubbing the legs downward increases the risk of vein failure in diabetics. Such ulcers occur spontaneously or in association with minor trauma to the leg. Venous leg ulcers can be very painful and can persist for more than a year. The older the patient, the more likely that venous leg ulcers will develop.

Pressure ulcers (decubitis ulcers or bed sores) result from pressure on skin, soft tissue, muscle, and bone that cuts off the ability of the capillaries to circulate blood for an extended period of time. The wounds that then develop occur in individuals unable to sense the pressure or who cannot change their body position to relieve the pressure. Pressure ulcers are a common and expensive problem in acute care, nursing home, and home care populations. In hospital settings the incidence of pressure ulcers has reached as high as 30% among those at risk.

Continue reading "Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Is Often The Cause of Decubitus Ulcers, Bed Sores & Pressure Sores" »

Bed sores (also known as pressure sores, pressure ulcers, or decubitus ulcers) are caused by unrelieved pressure on bony prominences of the body. Over time, the unrelieved pressure restricts necessary blood circulation to the skin and tissue resulting in the death of the tissue and the surrounding muscle. What may begin as a small area of skin irritation can rapidly develop into a large wound.

In order to help identify bed sores and implement medical treatment, a 'staging system' has been established by the medical community to provide a standardized system of identify and treating wounds.

Stages of Bed Sores

Stage 1 - Initially, a pressure sore appears as a persistent area of red skin that may itch or hurt and feel warm and spongy or firm to the touch. In blacks, Hispanics and other people with darker skin, the mark may appear to have a blue or purple cast, or look flaky or ashen. Stage I wounds are superficial and go away shortly after the pressure is relieved.

Stage 2 - At this point, some skin loss has already occurred -- either in the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, in the dermis, the skin's deeper layer, or in both. The wound is now an open sore that looks like a blister or an abrasion, and the surrounding tissues may show red or purple discoloration. If treated promptly, stage II sores usually heal fairly quickly.

Stage 3 - By the time a pressure ulcer reaches this stage, it has extended through all the skin layers down to the muscle, damaging or destroying the affected tissue and creating a deep, crater-like wound.

Stage 4 - In the most serious and advanced stage, a large-scale loss of skin occurs, along with damage to muscle, bone, and even supporting structures such as tendons and joints. Stage IV wounds are extremely difficult to heal and can lead to lethal infections. For patients confined to a wheelchair, they are most likely to develop a pressure sore on: their tailbone or buttocks, shoulder blades and spine. Some wheelchair patients may develop bed sores on the backs of their arms and legs where they rest against the chair. Bed-bound patients are prone to develop pressure sores in the following additional areas: back or sides of your head, the rims of your ears, shoulders, hip bones, lower back or tailbone, backs or sides of your knees, heels, ankles and toes.

Unstageable - Unstageable bed sores are usually referred to as an extremely advanced wound where there is involvement of skin, muscle and bone.

Medical Facilities Duty To Prevent Bed Sores

As a known threat to patient health and well-being, staff in nursing homes, hospitals and other medical facilities must be diligent in preventing bed sores from developing. Perhaps the most important part of bed sore prevention is to identify patients who are at high risk for developing bed sores and implementing a care plan for them.

The following conditions, put a patient at high-risk for developing bed sores:

Limited mobility or bed-bound
Old age
Malnourishment
Dehydration
Incontinence
Prevention of Bed Sores

The most widely accepted ways of preventing bed sores is to keep patients clean and dry. This means removing soiled clothing and bedding as soon as feasible and bathing patients regularly. Additionally, for patients who have limited mobility, staff must actively turn patients on a regular basis (every 2 hours) to avoid unrelieved pressure from forming on the body.

The areas of the body most vulnerable to bed sores are:

Heels
Hips
Buttocks
Back
By some estimates, more than 500,000 patients develop bed sores in nursing homes and hospitals every year. In addition to the pain and embarrassment that accompanies bed sores, bed sore patients are at risk for developing a variety of medical complications.

Medical Complications Associated With Bed Sores

Sepsis

Sepsis is an illness caused by infection in the bloodstream by bacteria that frequently enter the body through open wounds or bed sores. Sepsis must be identified and treated as early on as possible in order to provide the best chances of survival. If left undiagnosed and untreated, sepsis can be fatal. In order to make a diagnosis of sepsis, at least two of the following must occur: a heart rate above 90 beats per minute, hyperventilation (more than 20 breaths per minute) and white blood cell count below 4000 cells/mm.

Gangrene

Gangrene is a complication that may develop due to the death of tissue in and around the bed sore. Severe bed sores may result in the reduction of blood flow in and around the wound. The reduced blood flow increases the ability of bacteria to grow. Bacteria produce toxins that the body is unable to remove. Once the toxins accumulate, deterioration of tissue ensues. Ultimately, as the tissue deteriorates the common gangrene symptoms may occur (black or green discoloration of skin and foul odors).

Osteomyelitis

Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the bones that is caused by bacteria. In adults, the most common types of osteomyelitis causing bacteria are S. Aureus, Enterobacter and Streptococcus. In cases of severe bed sores (also referred to as decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores) the bacteria enters the body through the open wound and attacks the bone. Once the bone becomes infected, enzymes are released that restrict the bodies ability to heal. If left untreated osteomyelitis can spread into the bone marrow and surrounding joints, leading to further medical complications or even death.

Necrotizing Fasciitis

Because people with severe bed sores literally have an open wound, they are at a higher risk for contracting the infection causing bacteria that can cause necrotizing fasciitis. The early stages of necrotizing fasciitus are characterized by severe pain and swelling in the area of the infection frequently accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting. Rather than 'eating' the flesh, as is commonly suggested, necrotizing fasciitis infection causes flesh to die.

Bed Sore Treatment

Medical treatments can help improve the pain associated with the wounds and may prove to literally save the life of the patient. It goes without saying, that patients with bed sores should seek treatment from practitioners who have experience in wound care.

Wound Care

In order for bed sores to heal, attention must be paid to the removing dead tissue and protecting the wound from infection causing bacteria. Dressings are usually applied to help the body heal itself. The type of dressing and the frequency with which it is to be changed is ordered by a physician with the application and changes carried out by nurses.

Surgical Debridement

Surgical debridement is when a surgeon uses a scalpel to remove the dead tissue, bone and fluid from the area around the bed sore. Surgical debridement of the bed sore may be accompanied by 'flap reconstruction'. Flap reconstruction is when tissue is harvested from a healthy area of the person's body to cover the open wound. The goal of reconstruction is to improve the hygiene and appearance of the wound and reduce the risk of infection.

Colostomy

When bed sores develop on the buttocks or sacrum, a physician may recommend a surgical procedure to prevent fecal material getting into the wounds. The surgical procedure is referred to as a 'colostomy' or 'diverting colostomy'.

A colostomy is a major surgical procedure that involves cutting the colon into a shorter piece and bringing it through the wall of the abdomen. A colostomy bag is attached to the end of the colon exiting the abdomen where fecal material is collected. The end of the colon that leads to the rectum is closed off and becomes dormant. Many colostomy procedures can be reversed, if and when they are no longer needed.

Amputation

One of the most dramatic examples of how truly devastating bed sores can be is when a limb must be amputated due to severe bed sores or medical complications. In severe cases (where surgical debridement, antibiotics, and oxygen treatment are unsuccessful), amputation of the limb might be required to prevent the infection from spreading further. This is especially true in elderly people, especially those who are malnourished, because of poor blood flow.

Liability of Medical Facility For Patients Who Develop Bed Sores During An Admission

When a bed sore (similarly referred to as: pressure sore, pressure ulcer or decubitus ulcer) develops during an admission to a medical facility, it is usually an indication that the facility was not properly caring for the patient. The underlying reasons may be varied: under-staffing, poor training or staff simply not following orders, the fact remains- medical facilities can be held responsible for the pain, decline in the quality of life and medical expenses associated with subsequent treatment.

Continue reading "Bedsores, Pressure Sores & Decubitus Ulcers Are A Form Of Elder Abuse & Neglect" »