Nursing homes are meant to provide a safe and comfortable environment for our loved ones as they age. Unfortunately, cases of nursing home neglect and abuse have increased in recent years, with bedsores being a prevalent issue. Today, we will discuss the critical aspects surrounding bedsores in nursing home neglect cases. Understanding these factors can help protect our loved ones and ensure they receive the care and respect they deserve. In cases involving nursing home bedsores, contact a personal injury attorney to ensure you have the legal counsel you need to pursue an advantageous case outcome.

Definitions and Causes of Bedsores

Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, are wounds that develop with prolonged pressure on the skin. They often occur in individuals who are immobile or have difficulty moving. Neglect and poor care in nursing homes can contribute to the development of such ulcers. Factors like friction, moisture, poor nutrition, and lack of repositioning increase the risk of bedsores. Proper prevention measures should be taken to avoid these painful and potentially life-threatening conditions.

Demonstrating Negligence as the Cause of Bedsores in Neglect Cases

To establish negligence in nursing home neglect cases involving bedsores, particular elements must first be identified:

The U.S. is experiencing another surge of COVID-19 cases and fatalities in nursing homes. During the early months of the pandemic, nursing homes quickly became ground zero for coronavirus outbreaks across the country. While the cases subdued somewhat in the fall, the facilities are now seeing their most intense surge in coronavirus cases. As new cases break record after record, infections at those facilities hit a new high in late November. The situation in nursing homes is dire because they house the highest at-risk senior population and patients with multiple underlying health issues.

Between late May and late November, the number of COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents and employees quadrupled. More than 82,000 nursing home residents and employees have died from the virus since the pandemic began.  Despite making up 5.8% of all U.S. COVID cases, 40% of recorded deaths have occurred in nursing homes.

COVID-19 Driving an Epidemic of Loneliness in Nursing Homes

When the pandemic hit, nursing homes across the country isolated their residents in an attempt to prevent infection. They shut their doors to visitors and family members, confined residents to their rooms, and suspended communal meals and group activities. When limited visits are allowed, physical contact between residents and family members is barred.

Corrupt nursing homes are prone to incidents of neglect and abuse. Improper supervision of nursing home staff, understaffing, negligent care, and irresponsible or even abusive actions of caregivers in these facilities can put elderly residents in danger.

Concealing Neglect and Abuse in Nursing Homes

The horror stories in the news regarding nursing home abuse and neglect are astounding. In October of 2019, 3 nursing home facility workers in North Carolina were charged with forcing residents to participate in a fighting ring with other residents. In some instances, staff members were recording the fights and encouraging nursing home residents, many of which had Alzheimer’s and dementia, to abuse one another.

The month prior to the North Carolina case, Philip Esformes, CEO of a chain of nursing home and assisted living facilities, was convicted of numerous schemes that involved bribing doctors to refer patients to Esformes’s facilities, inappropriately moving residents between facilities to keep ratios stable, and even bribing government officials to give facilities notice when a surprise inspection was about to take place. As a result, many residents received inadequate medical care, lived in poor or unsafe conditions, were charged for unnecessary services, or denied any services whatsoever. After years of investigations that began in 2016, multiple charges were admitted to, and a 20-year sentence along with a $44 million penalty was received. In addition to criminal charges, Esformes may face civil lawsuits from the victims’ families.