Lack of Nursing Home Patient Skin Checks Often Leads to Bed Sores
April 20th, 2012 tmccoy
Management of pressure ulcers in nursing homes require excellent clinical evaluations, history, physical examination and decision-making. Wound care and prevention must be implemented fast. Prevention and care for an ulcer must include skin checks every shift and immediate notification to a doctor for action if there is any change to the skin. Unfortunately our elderly in nursing homes do not receive this type of care. Because of this and many other reasons pressure sores are far too common in nursing homes.
When bedsores start or worsen because of lack of skin checks this is a sign of nursing home abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, there is no universal preventive measure or wound care formula that works on all wounds, but nursing homes are known to try and use a cookie cutter approach to prevent and heal bedsores.
Good skin care in all cases requires at least excellent and timely clinical judgment in combination with a team approach to achieve an individualized care plan. If your loved one is in a nursing home find out what is being done to prevent or heal ulcers on an individual basis.
