Why are Rehab Patients at Risk for Developing Bed Sores?

By Nursing Home Law Center

Thousands of people enter rehab facilities every year for the purpose of healing an injury or to get short-term medical treatment only to get more than they bargained for– a bed sore. The underlying reasons why rehab patients develop bed sores (also referred to as: pressure sore, pressure ulcer or decubitus ulcer) are the same as those who suffer from more chronic maladies:

• Unrelieved pressure on the body
• Malnutrition
• Dehydration
• Staff failing to keep patients clean and dry

However, many relatively healthy and young people who enter skilled nursing facilities or designated rehab centers develop bed sores due an injury which may immobilize them and keep them confined to a bed or wheelchair for extended periods. Staff in rehab facilities must be aware that rehab patients are indeed at risk for developing bed sores and should be diligent with their preventive programs.

Similarly, staff in rehab facilities must be aware that even relatively young patients are at an increased risk for developing bed sores particularly when they are immobilized from medical conditions such:

• Joint replacements
• Hip fractures
• Pelvis fractures
• Leg fractures
• Paralysis
• Coma

Related Information

• Treating Bed Sores Before They Develop
• Study to Concentrate on How Much ‘Turning’ is Needed to Prevent Pressure Ulcers
• Much Easier to Prevent the Development of Pressure Sores than to Treat Them after They’ve Developed

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