Decubitus Ulcers Remain Deadly Problem for Hospital Patients

A recent article in Britain’s Daily Mail says that hospital-acquired bed sores continue to plague England’s National Health System in alarming numbers.
“Bed sores affected 412,000 NHS patients, and killed 4,708 people between 2003 and 2008,” the article states. The Daily Mail obtained its statistics from “Dr. Foster…,”

What causes a decubitus ulcer to develop?

…Originating from the Latin term meaning “to lay down”—decubitus ulcers are perhaps most accurately categorized as an open wound on the skin that can penetrate to the surrounding tissues, muscle and bone in the area.  Decubitus ulcers are most prevalent on people with limited mobility or who may be immobile

Pressure Sores Are Needlessly Killing Nursing Home & Hospital Patients

Pressure sores (also referred to as bed sores, pressure ulcers, or decubitus ulcers) are an all too common and painful problem for nursing home residents.
Most pressure sores are preventable and are caused by faulty care where the nursing home or hospital does provide adequate care to prevent and treat bed sores.  Patients vulnerable… to developing

Bedsore Trial Will Test Families Allegations That Staff At Nursing Home Were Not Providing Adequate Care

A pending trial against Retama Manor Nursing Center (Texas) will put a families allegations of improper nursing care and poor medical charting—front and center before a jury.
The trial commenced by the family of Emilo Gonzalez, a patient with motile medical complications including: partial paralysis, anemia, seizure disorder, decreased appetite,…

Under-Staffing & Under-Funding Alleged In Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit Where Patient Developed Bed Sores

‘Under-staffing’ and ‘under-funding’ are just several of the underlying reasons alleged to contribute to the development of a patient’s bed sores (or decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers or pressure sores) during an admission to a Missouri nursing home.

Sick patients, that’s why they go to nursing homes…

The subject of the

Are Bed Sores Inevitable For Obese Patients In Nursing Homes & Hospitals?

An article published in the Las Vegas Sun, painted an unfortunately common set of circumstances; an overweight patient goes into a hospital for a medical procedure– only to acquire pressure sores… during their stay.  Sure, the same scenario can (and most certainly does) occur with people of average stature, but

Sometimes Bed Sores In A Nursing Home Patient Aren’t Discovered Until They Are Taken To A Hospital

Some of my angriest clients contact me after a loved one was transferred from a nursing home to another nursing home or hospital only to learn of serious medical problems their loved one likely acquired during their original admission.
Of course, breaking disappointing news is difficult for anyone to do.…

Frozen-Joints Or Contractures Can Increase Patient’s Risk For Developing Bed Sores

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

Pressure Relieving Devices May Help Reduce Rate Of Pressure Sores In Nursing Home & Hospital Patients

As a lawyer who sees a significant number of cases where nursing home or hospital patients have developed bed sores… (also referred to as: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers) during a short or long-term admission, I feel as though the most progress has been made with respect to

Show Your Support For People With Bed Sores. Become A Fan Of Bed Sore FAQ On Facebook Today!

Everyday families of patients in nursing homes and hospitals across the country face a devastating discovery– that their loved one has developed a bed sore.  For most, the news comes as a shock.  After all, no one ever expects to contract bed sores during an admission to a medical facility?…

Bed Sore Prevention: Staff Must Turn & Reposition Bed-Ridden Patients At Regular Intervals

The underlying mechanics behind the development of bed sores (also called: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers) is relatively simple– unrelieved pressure on the body results in restricted blood circulation and consequential lack of nutrients and oxygen to skin and tissue.  When pressure goes unrelieved for extended periods of…

West Virginia Nursing Home Sued for Negligence After Patient Develops Decubitus Ulcers

The wife of a former Charleston, WV nursing home patient is suing Genesis Healthcare Corporation for an undisclosed amount, according to The West Virginia Record.
Garnet Phillips claims that her husband, George, suffered from several worsening conditions during his 13-month stay at the Valley Center Nursing Home …, including

Are seniors in residential care facilities and other alternative living arrangements at risk for developing bedsores?

Though less likely to occur than in a nursing home, patients in Residential Care Facilities for the elderly (RCFE’s)…, Assisted Living Facilities (ALF’s) and Group Homes are still at risk for developing bed sores—and other signs of physical neglect.
Likely in response to a ballooning elderly population and the

Blogs & Other Web Resources For Families Seeking Information Regarding Bedsores

Bedsores have established themselves as one of the most symbolic signs of systemic neglect of patients in nursing homes, hospitals and other medical facilities.  Once thought to be an unpreventable condition that was just part of getting old, today we now see that bed sores generally be prevented with proper…

Bed Sore Prevention May Require Nursing Homes To Obtain Pressure Relieving Devices For Their Patients

…As a lawyer who sees a significant number of cases where nursing home or hospital patients have developed bed sores (also referred to as: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers) during a short or long-term admission, I feel as though the most progress has been made with respect to

Who’s To Blame For Bed Sores In The Obese? Or Are They An Inevitable Part Of Being Fat?

…An article published in the Las Vegas Sun, painted an unfortunately common set of circumstances; an overweight patient goes into a hospital for a medical procedure– only to acquire pressure sores during their stay.
Sure, the same scenario can (and most certainly does) occur with people of average stature, but

Simple preventative techniques can drastically reduce the rate of hospital-acquired decubitus ulcers

Though surely an unanticipated complication, hospital-acquired decubitus ulcers …(also referred to as: pressure ulcers, pressure sores or bed sores) remain a tremendous problem for patients and the hospital itself.  Acknowledging the negative impact of decubitus ulcers, Texas Arlington Memorial Hospital set out to create a program to reduce the rate

Nursing home neglect and medical malpractice alleged in wrongful death case involving the development and advancement of decubitus ulcers during admission to nursing home and hospital

Philadelphia jurors have spoken in a case involving the development of decubitus ulcers during a hospitalization and deterioration during a subsequent stay at a nursing home.  Not only did they speak up, but the jurors stood up in a loud way, slapping $5 million in punitive damages on top of…

Problems persist in Chicago nursing home with track record of providing poor nursing care

If you’ve ever wondered just how bad life in a poorly rated nursing home is, take a look at a recent investigative article by Sam Roe of the Chicago Tribune.   Mr. Roe’s article chronicles life at Berwyn Rehabilitation Center, a Chicago, Illinois nursing home… that received one-star in

Nurse faces criminal charges after she fails to obtain medical treatment for bedsore patient

Criminal charges are expected to be filed against Virginia Munger, a CNA employed by Homewell Senior Care (Seattle, WA), after prosecutors concluded that Munger failed provide any medical intervention for an elderly patient she was responsible for caring for.
The criminal investigation followed the bedsore-related death… of an