If there is one injury commonly associated with advanced age, it is probably bedsores (also known as pressure ulcers). As people’s strength and energy levels decline with age, they spend more time in bed or sitting in the same position throughout the day.
A sedentary lifestyle often means that the same pressure points endure a lot of weight every day. Eventually, that can lead to the development of bedsores. What started out as angry red spots can eventually lead to deep wounds and even systemic infections. Bedsores are both painful and dangerous, and they can be hard to treat.
Despite how people associate bedsores with advanced age, they are often preventable and therefore not a necessary part of living in a nursing home.
How can a nursing home prevent bedsores?
Everyone working at a nursing home should know that leaving someone in the same position all day will dramatically increase the risk of them developing a bedsore. It is important that nursing homes have enough staff to provide support for all of their residence. That includes frequently moving or rotating them so that their chances of pressure ulcers aren’t so high.
Nursing home workers can use cushions, pillows or even mechanical beds and chairs to frequently change someone’s position and the pressure points absorbing most of their body weight. During clothes changes and bathing, staff should also check for early signs of bedsores and proactively treat them.
Inadequate staffing and poor facilities can compromise your loved one’s health. If your loved one has developed a bedsore, that might be a sign of nursing home neglect that you need to address on their behalf.
