Preventing Pressure Ulcers in the Nursing Home

There are 10 skilled nursing facilities located near the City of McFarland that provide care to its older adult community. It has long been known that with a growing older adult population with greater life expectancies, the need for care homes will rise in the coming years. The Los Angeles Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Ben Yeroushalmi wants the people of McFarland to know that older adults in these nursing homes are especially vulnerable because of their dependencies associated with functional and cognitive decline. It is important to know that although many nursing homes provide adequate care, abuse and neglect of older adult patients can and does occur. The lawyers and elder law experts at the Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi are dedicated to protecting and advocating for elderly victims of maltreatment in these long-term care facilities, until a just resolution is obtained.

Older adult patients in skilled nursing facilities near McFarland are vulnerable to preventable infections and illnesses if high quality care is not provided at all times. The incidence of pressure ulcers is a strong indicator of poor quality of care in these long-term care facilities. Many studies have shown that pressure ulcer rates in nursing homes across the United States continues to remain high, despite over 30 years since guidelines to prevent pressure ulcers have been published. There is increasing concern in skilled nursing facilities regarding pressure ulcer prevention due to the fact that patients reside in these facilities for long periods and have a great risk of losing their mobility. Although studies indicated that pressure ulcer preventative measures exist in these facilities and quality improvement has shown to enhance resident health outcomes, skilled nursing facilities are still unable to guarantee successful and continued implementation of pressure ulcer preventive strategies.

Studies have shown that contextual factors, such as having a high level of nursing staff and management involvement, having a high level of quality improvement staff, and having adequately trained and educated staff directly responsible for caring for patients, are significantly associated with more successful pressure ulcer prevention implementation. Elder abuse attorney Ben Yeroushalmi wants the people of McFarland to know that not all skilled nursing facilities have the resources to maintain high staffing levels, and are therefore unable to provide consistent high quality preventative care.

Pressure ulcer rates are high in skilled nursing facilities. Due to the fact that most residents have little to no mobility, poor blood circulation, incontinence, or cognitive impairments, it is crucial that skilled nursing facilities provide care that includes close monitoring, timely repositioning, dressing application, and providing special bedding to either prevent pressure ulcers among vulnerable patients or avoid existing pressure ulcers from worsening.

The attorneys and experts at the Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi know that the incidence of pressure ulcers in the nursing home is preventable with high quality care. If you or someone you love has suffered from a pressure ulcer while under the care of a skilled nursing facility, contact our office today for a free initial consultation.