When people decide the time has come to move to a long-term care facility in Kentucky, it is often because mobility issues have made living alone impossible. Being confined to a wheelchair or bed can create difficulties in a nursing home, too, though. According to the Mayo Clinic, people who remain in the same position for too long are at risk for bedsores.
Just like the other organs in the body, skin depends on the nutrients and oxygen provided through the bloodstream. When a person sits or reclines in the same position for long periods of time, the pressure between the bones and skin begins to cut off the blood flow. Over time, damage develops in the layers of the skin and may lead to tissue death. The complications that can arise because of the pressure ulcers include infections that may spread to the nearby bones and joints, causing permanent damage. Cancer and sepsis are also known to develop because of unhealed bedsores.
The National Law Review states that bedsores are completely preventable in a nursing home setting. Staff should perform daily assessments of each patient’s skin, a process that is a set standard of care expected of facilities across the nation. By following this routine procedure, interventions can be put in place at the earliest warning signs, which include redness and areas of the skin that are spongy, hard or warm. If a wound does develop, it indicates that the standard of care has not been met, and may be a sign of nursing home negligence.