Bedsore Treatment Of The Elderly

The development of a bedsore (or pressure sore) in an elderly or bedridden loved one can be a scary ordeal. Bedsores are painful and often require months of treatment before they heal. Bedsores can also be fatal if not cared for properly; therefore, it is important that family members are extremely involved in the treatment process.

The following list offers practical tips on how to treat a bedsore. Families can also use the list as a gauge to determine whether their loved one is receiving appropriate care from the nursing home or hospital staff. In addition, I encourage you to read ahead to the legal rights of a bedsore patient. Bedsores are a clear sign of neglect in nursing home or hospital setting. You have the legal right to hold these facilities accountable for the pain and suffering they have caused your loved one.

Bedsore Prevention Methods

*Keep Moving- Ideally, a bedsore patient should move every 15 minutes to keep pressure off of the sore. If this frequency is not possible (as in the case of an immobile resident), the bedsore patient must be moved at least every two hours. He or she should also be kept off of the sore as much as possible. Special mattresses, foam blocks or special chairs may help keep your loved one comfortable during the repositioning process.

*Keep it Clean- The bedsore should be cleaned with Saline solution and wrapped with an occlusive dressing. Occlusive dressing is a clear transparent bandage that can seal itself to the wound and is found at your local medical supply store. The bandage should also be left on for a few days before it is changed. If the dressing is changed too often, it will inhibit the body’s natural growth factors from connecting with the raw tissue.

*Get Healthy- Malnutrition is common in bedsore patients. This condition contributes to the easy breakdown of the skin. To promote healing, the bedsore patient should eat plenty of protein, take 500 mg of Vitamin C supplements twice a day (as always, consult with a doctor before taking supplements) and drink 8 glass of water a day to prevent dehydration. It is a proven fact that patients who receive proper nutrition will not only heal faster, but will be less likely to get another bedsore in the future.

 

Legal Rights of a Bedsore Patient

Nursing homes and hospitals have specific guidelines aimed at preventing bedsores. Therefore, if a bedsore develops, it is safe to conclude that someone was not following the rules. These sores are so unacceptable that insurance companies are now refusing to pay doctors for bedsore treatment.

The reason for this is simple-bedsores are easier to prevent than treat. In most cases, bedsores are just the result of carelessness and neglect. Fortunately, insurance companies are not the only ones taking a stand against such negligent behavior. Bedsore patients and family members have turned to the court system to hold hospitals and nursing homes responsible for the pain and suffering they have caused. And while the hospital or nursing home may insist that bedsores are unavoidable even under the best circumstances, nothing can be further than the truth.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that you consult with an elder abuse lawyer upon the discovery of a bedsore. Most elder abuse attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means they do not get paid unless they win your case. So at the very least, you can get free legal advice and professional guidance on how to protect your loved one from any further neglect on behalf of the nursing home or hospital. Ultimately, you are the best advocate for you loved one. If he or she is suffering, do not hesitate to call in help on their behalf.

About John R. Mininno, Esquire

Attorney John R. Mininno is a licensed New Jersey and Pennsylvania attorney who represents clients in medical malpractice and nursing home abuse cases. His offices are in Collingswood, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. He also writes on patient safety issues and encourages patients to be their own “patient advocate.” For further information or a free case evaluation, visit our bedsore treatment and prevention page

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Concerns Of The Elders During Retirement And Solutions

What is retirement and why are we so focused on it? For some retirement may never come. If retirement means to never work for subsistence, there are people who will never make it. With the cost of living going up and the economy with its ups and downs, people see their opportunity to retire fluctuating like a flag in the wind. Some days it looks great and the future looks bright with the wind at your back. Other days the chance looks like it is dead in the wind. If there is no wind at your back, in fact it may even be a head wind and it feels like it will never let up. One of the questions people ask themselves, especially those with children that end up leaving the house, is where to live. Should you live in an independent retirement living community or stay in their house. Is the house too big and going to cost more to upkeep than you have in your budget? Maybe it would be better to downsize and put the profit to work for you? What do you like to do for fun? Will there be people like you there to socialize with? Are you so entrenched in your community that you don’t feel like you can move or if so, you need to find somewhere in the same community? Do you play golf and do they have a golf course in the community? What about working out or wood working? There is such a wide variety of different communities from which to choose it is something to spend a considerable amount of time researching.

For those who stay in their homes as long as they can and then decide to move into one of the many facilities with assisted living in Illinois there are some difficult decisions to make. How much assistance do you need and what will you need in the future? If you are facing a debilitating disease it is often a great advantage to have assisted living and get the help you need in your daily life. Unfortunately, not every family has the opportunity to take care of their elderly family members. If they are fortunate enough to do so, they have the option of having home health care in Illinois and in most all states. People will be there to help you do those things that you can’t do for one reason or another.

No matter what your situation, retirement is a time of life when a new set of decisions arises. It is a milestone much like having a baby or when the children have all moved out of the house. If you don’t have children it is a time to reflect on what you want to do with the next step in your life. You are possibly wrapping up a career and it’s time to decide what to with your time and resources.

If it’s time for your retirement you may decide to move to one of the many independent retirement living communities or to just stay in your home. If you need to get some help you may decide to move into one of the many facilities with assisted living in Illinois. If you are fortunate to have a family that you can stay with then maybe home healthcare in Illinois is an option that makes the most sense.

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