When you are young and active, bedsores probably never cross your mind. However, if your elderly mother is in a nursing home, you need to know about bedsores.
What is a bedsore exactly? It is an ulcer caused by prolonged pressure on a specific area of skin. They can happen to people in nursing homes because they are less mobile: They may spend a long time in bed or a lot of time seated, be it in a chair or a wheelchair.
There are four stages of bedsores:
- Stage one: Your mom may feel it as hot or itchy. You could notice it feels warm. The skin can look differently colored, depending upon your parent’s natural skin color. Dark skin can look blue or purple, lighter skin can look red.
- Stage two: Your mom may feel pain in the area. You could notice a blister or open sore.
- Stage three: You will notice a hole, like a crater in their skin.
- Stage four: You will notice a big wound, and may even be able to see bone, muscle or tendon.
If you notice what you think are bedsores, report it immediately to the nursing home staff. Make sure you check on your mother in the next few days to see if the bedsores have improved and if the nursing home staff are remedying the situation.
Even if minor, bedsores could be a signal that your mom is not receiving the attention you are paying for and that the care home is not carrying out its duty of care. If you feel your mom is a victim of negligence by her nursing home, seek legal counsel, to discover the options available to you.