Bedsores, also called pressure sores and decubitus ulcers, form when someone with limited or no mobility is left in the same position for too long. After a long while in the same position, the pressure of the person's body weight cuts off blood flow to the area, especially in bony areas. If left undisturbed long enough, this leads to the death of body tissues in the area. Healthy people do not get pressure sores because they can simply change positions when they feel uncomfortable. But patients who are bed-bound or wheelchair-bound need the help of a caregiver to change their positions. Our Pennsylvania bedsore injury attorneys see more complaints about bedsores than almost any other form of nursing home negligence.

Bedsores are simple to prevent. In well-run nursing homes, caregivers simply turn the patient every two hours. When detected early, bedsores are also simple to treat. However, bedsores can develop into serious health threats when they are left untreated too long. In later stages, bedsores look like large blisters, and the area of dead tissue can extend all the way to the muscle or bone. At these stages, the wound may be full of dead skin cells and is extremely susceptible to an infection. To treat the wound, doctors will have to surgically remove the dead tissue and address any infection. There is also significant pain to the patient, which gets worse the further the wound progresses.

Because they are often caused by failure to meet basic standards of care, bedsores may be the result of negligence committed by the nursing home staff. However, they can also be worsened by other forms of nursing home negligence, including malnutrition and poor hygiene leading to excess moisture or soiled skin in the area. Neglect can also complicate bedsores, because the longer they are left untreated, the worse the patient's prognosis can be. Bedsores are an invitation to infection, which can have catastrophic effects on the patient's already compromised immune system. In the most severe cases, complications include death. And the further the sores have progressed, the longer they take to heal. In fact, only a small majority of the latest-stage bedsores ever heal.

Scientists believe that about a quarter of all patients in long-term care have bedsores at any particular time. For this reason, federal law specifically requires nursing homes to have a plan to prevent bedsores. Nonetheless, bedsores are still one of the most common forms of illness caused by medical care (along with medication errors). That's particularly true among nursing home patients, who frequently have compromised immune systems and limited mobility. Because the need is so clear, the results so terrible and the prevention so easy, our Philadelphia nursing home bedsore lawyers believe there's no good reason for nursing homes to allow patients to develop late-stage bedsores. When this happens, patients and their families can and should hold the home responsible with a Pennsylvania nursing home neglect lawsuit.

With five offices in greater Philadelphia, Rosenbaum & Associates represents clients throughout Pennsylvania and South Jersey who have suffered serious physical injuries, loss of dignity and high financial costs because of bedsores caused by a nursing home's negligence. We offer free consultations, so you can tell us about your case and learn about your rights at no risk. To set up a meeting, please send us a message online or call toll-free at 1-800-7-LEGAL-7 (1-800-753-4257).