Image of Pressure Ulcer Goes Viral

An image of a pressure ulcer has gone viral on Facebook and other social media platforms. The woman who posted the image claims that the staff at her father’s nursing home in Fort Wayne, Indiana, failed to notice and treat a pressure ulcer on her father’s heel. The post has been shared more than 40,000 times and has nearly 20,000 comments.

Her post also alleges other neglects by stating that she has arrived at the home several times to find her father with wet and soiled pants, dehydrated, and unbathed.

Nursing homes have a responsibility for the health and safety of their residents. Allowing them to get a bed sore or failing to respond once they realize that a resident has a bed sore could be grounds for a nursing home neglect lawsuit. Find out more by speaking with one of our experienced nursing home abuse attorneys in Milwaukee.

Since posting the image to Facebook, the woman and her step-mother have since moved her father to another nursing home facility. Upon arriving at the new facility, it was discovered that he not only had an infection from the sore, but also was in poor overall health.

Pressure Ulcers in Nursing Homes

Pressure ulcers, also known as bed sores, occur when there is prolonged pressure applied to the skin. These sores often occur when a person lies in bed in the same location for an extended period of time, and they most often occur on specific parts of the body, including:

Pressure ulcers can be a sign of nursing home abuse as they are an unavoidable side effect of non-movement. In many situations, bed sores are one of the first noticeable signs of neglect in a nursing home.

Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that roughly one in 10 nursing home residents will suffer from bed sores. They are often caused by improper medical care or a simple lack of attention. Bed sores are a serious problem that can lead to more serious health issues like severe infections. They should be treated immediately once discovered.

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