When dealing with bedsores, it is important to understand the potential causes. What is a bedsore? How does one form?
Answering these questions can help you recognize any potential red flags of elder neglect that a bedsore may act as.
What are bedsores?
Mayo Clinic discusses the presence of bedsores. First, what are bedsores? These injuries – also called pressure ulcers – happen when part of the body remains unmoving and pressed against another surface for an extended period of time. Due to issues with blood flow in the area, these wounds can range from surface level to extremely deep and painful.
Bedsores typically appear in older individuals or people with limited mobility. Because they cannot get around easily or even shift in bed, they end up lying still for long periods of time. This is where the name “bedsore” came from, though it can also occur in wheelchairs or any other place where a person sits or lies down for too long.
A potential red flag
However, it is possible that a bedsore might indicate neglect. Keep in mind that bedsores may happen even with attentive nurses on staff, simply because it is impossible to perfectly predict how, when and why they will form.
But in other cases, bedsores form because the nursing staff at a care facility does not take the proper steps to prevent them. In most cases, preventative measures simply involve moving immobile patients on a regular schedule.
With understaffed hospitals or neglectful staff, this may not happen, leading to bedsores. Particularly severe or frequent bedsores should thus get handled like a potential red flag.