By Nursing Home Law Center
The Administration on Aging, defines elder abuse as the intentional, or negligent act by a caregiver or any other person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable adult.
Obviously, using the the government’s definition, many forms of mistreatment- intentional and negligent may be considered abusive. In nursing homes, negligent acts by staff account for the majority of injuries and deaths. Nonetheless, there are situations where the intentional acts by a facility in general or by an individual staff member may similarly result in an injury.
Although bed sores (alternatively referred to as: pressure sore, pressure ulcer or decubitus ulcer) may not necessarily be associated with an intentional act, there are many situations where a bed sore developed because of a conscious decision by nursing home staff to ignore patient needs such as: incontinence, shifting patients in bed and ensuring sufficient nutrition and hydration. Similarly, some nursing homes may intentionally contribute to the development of bed sores when they fail to educate staff regarding preventative measure and treatment programs.
The sad reality is that bed sores can be just as harmful to nursing home patients compared with any other type of abuse-inflicted injury. Nursing home patients who develop bed sores must endure a long, painful and de-humanizing treatment and recovery process.
Chicago Attorney Nursing Home Law Center LLC Home