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 pressure sores are the elderly, people who are bedridden, and people with diabetes.

Pressure sores in nursing homes can be prevented by taking simple preventative measures including:

• Turning patients
• Using pressure reducing mattresses and pads (pressure relieving devices)
• Keeping residents clean and dry
• Providing adequate nutrition and hydration
• Performing skin checks

Related:

Can dehydration contribute to the development of bed sores?

Can malnutrition cause bed sores?

What is ‘turning’ and why is it important to prevention of bed sores?

Are pressure relieving mattresses required to be used in nursing homes?

The subject of the lawsuit, Nellie Wilks, was an elderly woman who was admitted to Parkwood Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on July 7, 2008.  At the time of her admission, Ms. Wilks suffered from various medical conditions and was very much dependent on the staff at Parkwood for providing care for her daily living needs.  Despite her maladies, Ms. Wilks did not have any type of pressure sore on her body.

Also at the time of her admission, the staff at Parkwood conducted an assessment of Ms. Wilks needs and determined her to be at risk for developing bed sores, due to her limited mobility, incontinence of bowel and bladder and need for staff assistance with all of her daily living needs.

The failure on the part of the staff at Parkwood (as well as the owners’ failure to provide staff with the means to do their job) to properly implement Ms. Wilks’ plan of care is alleged to be responsible for the development of a stage IV pressure sore on Ms. Wilks’ sacrum. The wound’s advanced nature, necessitated a medical procedure known as a diverting colostomy and extensive medical care until her death on October 26, 2008.

Related:

Are incontinent patients at an increased risk for developing bed sores?

Nursing Home Injury Laws: Missouri

Are there any federal regulations that apply to the prevention of bed sores?

How does the use of the Braden Scale help in the prevention of bed sores?

If a lawsuit or claim is filed against a facility where a person developed bed sores, what type of damages is the person entitled to?

Caseyville Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is a 150-bed facility located in Caseyville, Illinois has a one-star rating from Medicare Nursing Home Compare, which is a much below average rating.  Not unsurprising considering the poor treatment Mr. McManus received, Caseyville had twelve health deficiencies between January 2009 and March 2010, which is four more than the Illinois average and the U.S. average.

Mr. McManus seems to be the victim of neglect.  In the final month of his life, he suffered from a series of health problems including:

• Bed sores
• Urinary tract infection (See “Untreated Urinary Tract Infections in Nursing Home Patients May Result in Urosepsis”)
• Malnutrition (See “Can malnutrition cause bed sores?” and “Inadequate Nutrition & The Development of Bed Sores in Nursing Home Patients”)
• Dehydration (See “Can dehydration contribute to the development of pressure sores?”)

Bedsores (also referred to as: pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers) are a very serious and preventable problem that affects many nursing home residents.  Nursing homes are required to ensure that residents do not develop pressure sores and provide treatment and services to promote healing and prevent infection for residents with existing pressure sores.

Oftentimes, these victims do not receive adequate care and services that would prevent these painful and dangerous injuries.  If not properly treated, decubitus ulcers can progress rapidly, damaging tissue and bones and cause sepsis or even death.  It is saddening that this is how Mr. McManus spent the final days of his life, in pain and agony.  Coupled with the horrible physical pain was the victim’s deteriorating mental state and distress.

Ms. Shirley McManus is now suing the nursing home facility for wrongful death, alleging that the facility committed several negligent acts that resulted in his death.  Her lawsuit alleges that the nursing home failed to provide adequate care, failed to protect Mr. McManus from abuse and neglect, failed to notify his doctor of a change in physical condition, failed to create a care plan that addressed his pressure sores, and also failed to maintain his body weight.

Situations like this should not occur in nursing homes.  Residents are entitled to receive necessary care and services in order to attain or maintain the best possible physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.  If you or a loved one are not receiving this minimum level of care and have suffered injury, you may be entitled to compensation

Sources:

Madison St. Clair Record: Woman Sues Caseyville Nursing Home Over Man’s Death

Illinois Department of Public Health: Caseville Nursing & Rehab Ctr

Medicare Nursing Home Compare: Caseyville Nursing & Rehab Ctr

Untreated Urinary Tract Infections in Nursing Home Patients May Result in Urosepsis

Can malnutrition cause bed sores?

Inadequate Nutrition & The Development of Bed Sores in Nursing Home Patients

Can dehydration contribute to the development of pressure sores?

Nursing Home Injury Laws: Illinois

What is an autopsy?

An autopsy is a detailed medical examination of the person’s body and organs following death to establish the specific cause. Autopsies are performed by a physician, a pathologist, who is trained to evaluate results from physical examinations and laboratory results from tissue and blood samples to determine the cause of death.

Once the examination and laboratory results have been evaluated, an autopsy report is rendered. The report notes the physical findings and states a cause(s) of death.  Because the report is rendered from an impartial author, it can be particularly useful in a litigation setting.  Similarly, just a the report may be useful in case against a nursing home or hospital, results may also absolve the facility of responsibility if the results do not substantiate poor care.

In order to secure the most accurate results, most pathologists suggest performing an autopsy 24 to 48-hours after the death of a person.  Depending on where the death occurred  and the circumstances surrounding it, the autopsy may be performed by the state medical examiner or by a physician at a private hospital.

Is an autopsy called for in cases where a bed sore may have contributed or caused a death?

In my opinion, particularly in cases involving severe bed sores (also called pressure sores, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers), autopsies can be extremely helpful in rebutting arguments made by facilities who may argue that a death was the result of ‘old age’ or due to a ‘variety complicated medical factors’.

Autopsies can be particularly helpful in prosecuting wrongful death matters related to bed sores due to the fact that a physician can make a medical determination as to the cause of death.  Specific medical complications such as infection and sepsis may be confirmed by an autopsy as opposed to speculation.

If you wish to have an autopsy performed on a loved one, you should contact your coroner or local hospital to get information about facilities that can perform one at your request.

Related Nursing Homes Abuse Blog Entries

Autopsy Confirms Man Was Murdered In Chicago Nursing Home

Medical Examiner Rules Tennessee Nursing Home Death A Homicide

Grandson Alleges Poor Nursing Care Results In Bed Sores “You Could Stick Your Fist” In

Other studies have determined that more than 33% of patients hospitalized for bed sores (as a primary condition) will die during their stay. In cases where patients developed a bed sore in the hospital, only 50% will live more than twelve months.

In other groups of patients who have a serious illness accompanied by bed sores, the bed sores may result in an expedited decline in overall condition and death.

Sources:

Kenkel JM. Pressure Sores (overview). In: Kenkel JM. Selected Read Plast Surg. Vol 8, No 39. Texas: Baylor University Medical Center; 1998:1-29

Dinsdale SM. Decubitus ulcers: role of pressure and friction in causation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. Apr 1974;55(4):147-52

Related:

• Autopsies May Help Families Determine If Their Loved One Was A Victim Of Nursing Home Neglect Or Abuse
• $5 Million In Punitive Damages Awarded To Widow In Bed Sore Case Against Nursing Home & Hospital