Nursing home abuse in Florida and around this nation is generally not a topic people want to discuss or even think about; however, it is a very real concern that people need to be aware of, especially if they are looking for a nursing home or if their senior parents are residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities.
When aging parents can no longer take care of themselves, a nursing home or long-term care facility may be the answer. However, not all nursing homes are the same. It is critical that people making the tough decisions about whom to trust with the care of the elderly know about the types of elder abuse that could occur inside the walls of some nursing homes.
Some forms of nursing home abuse are less noticeable than that of physical abuse. For example, neglect could manifest in soiled sheets, poor hygiene, weight loss, lack of receiving medication, and bedsores. However, a person on the outside might not notice that these things are occurring, unless they are stopping in to check on their loved one every day.
Neglect and Bedsores
Neglect often occurs at nursing homes where there is not enough staff. Understaffing is a huge problem that many nursing homes experience, leading to patient neglect and ultimately to nursing home abuse. This is because understaffed nursing homes are not able to provide the proper care to each patient or respond to a patient when they should, leaving the residents in unsanitary conditions, hungry, thirsty, or lying in the same position for too long.
When a patient is sitting or lying in the same position for a lengthy time without being turned, a patient could develop bedsores. These wounds can occur anywhere on the body, but generally can be found in the following areas:
- Ankles
- Back
- Elbows
- Heels
- Hips
- Sacrum
- Tailbone
What Are Bedsores?
Bedsores are lesions in the skin that occur when there is constant pressure on bony parts of the body—this is why they are also known as pressure sores. The pressure causes tissue to die because of the decrease in blood flow to those areas. Sadly, bedsores are preventable and occur from Sarasota nursing home neglect.
You may not notice if your loved one has developed a pressure sore unless you inspect their skin. If your loved one has developed a bedsore, the nursing home may not have turned your elderly family member as often as they should have in order to relieve pressure in that certain area of the body.
You may have a Florida nursing home abuse lawsuit. To find out more, please call the experienced and caring Sarasota nursing home abuse lawyers at Mallard Perez at 888-409-3805 for a free consultation and request a free copy of our book The Florida Nursing Home Abuse Handbook: Ways to Recognize & Prevent Abuse and Neglect.
