A fall risk assessment ensures that the resident can receive the assistance they need so they don’t fall. This can include things like using a walker or having a staff member to help with mobility. It’s critical that the necessary measures are always followed. 

In some cases, nursing home residents don’t fall because they’re a fall risk. Other factors, such as uneven flooring, spills or items on the floor, can lead to a resident falling. Proper facility maintenance can help to prevent these. 

Serious injuries can occur

While falls can lead to injuries for anyone, the effects may be worse for nursing home residents. Many nursing home residents are elderly and may have more brittle bones than individuals who are younger. This puts them at risk of broken bones if they fall. Some broken bones, particularly broken hips, can lead to significant challenges for residents. This can lead to long-term medical care needs and possibly lengthy hospital stays. 

If a nursing home resident falls because of nursing home negligence, the resident may opt to pursue a compensation claim. These cases can be complex, so it’s usually best for them to work with someone familiar with these matters so they can focus on healing from the injuries they suffered.

While many residents receive outstanding care, there are incidents when residents may not get the care they need. This can sometimes be due to neglect or abuse at the hands of the staff members. 

Anyone who’s visiting someone in a nursing home should pay close attention for signs of abuse and neglect. These signs may not be dramatic or sudden, but it’s critical to recognize when something might be amiss. 

Physical and environmental signs

One of the most common indicators of neglect is a decline in personal hygiene. People who are in nursing homes often need help with basic care. Things like soiled clothing, persistent body odor or unwashed hair may suggest that routine care is missed.

Pressure ulcers are another red flag that abuse or neglect might be occurring. Frequent bruises, untreated infections and repeated falls are signs that residents aren’t being monitored carefully.

It’s also possible that the facility could offer clues about neglect or abuse. Dirty common areas and strong odors are all signs that the facility isn’t being cared for properly. Missing safety features, long response times to call buttons and broken equipment are signs that standards may not be upheld.

Behavioral changes

Changes in the resident’s behavior are also important signs. Residents who are being neglected or abused may be withdrawn, have anxiety, suffer from depression or appear fearful. Those signs may be more pronounced when staff members are near, which is a sign that the staff member warned the resident not to speak out about the neglect or abuse. 

Nursing home neglect and abuse are serious situations. In some cases, they may lead to legal action. Working with someone who can assist with this type of case is beneficial because they can often be complex.

Some people may try to dismiss bed sores (pressure ulcers) as an inevitable part of aging due to changes to the skin. However, that’s not necessarily true.

Why are pressure ulcers so concerning?

Pressure ulcers develop when prolonged pressure cuts off blood flow to the skin and underlying tissue. They often occur on bony areas of the body, such as:

• Heels
• Hips and tailbones
• Lower back
• Shoulders

Pressure ulcers often start as mild redness, but they can quickly worsen into deep, open wounds. Advanced pressure ulcers can result in serious infections, sepsis, hospitalization and death in elderly people.

Most nursing home residents rely on staff for their daily care and mobility. Residents who are bedridden, confined to wheelchairs or unable to reposition themselves are particularly vulnerable to developing pressure ulcers. Because of this increased risk, nursing homes need to have preventative measures in place, including:

• Regular repositioning
• Routine skin assessments
• Adequate hydration and nutrition
• Pressure-relieving mattresses and cushions
• Prompt treatment at the first sign of skin breakdown

If a long-term care facility doesn’t provide this basic level of care, pressure ulcers can quickly develop. While most pressure ulcers are often preventable, not every one is an indicator of neglect. Common red flags include:

• Failing to turn or reposition a resident
• Advanced pressure ulcers
• Delayed or inadequate treatment
• Lack of documentation
• Poor hygiene
• Dehydration and malnutrition

If your loved one develops a pressure ulcer, taking early action can make a significant difference. Report your concerns to the nursing staff and facility management. If they fail to address the problem, your next step is contacting the Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ), which is part of Maryland’s Department of Health. 

Your loved one may require ongoing medical treatment and more help than the nursing home can provide. Reach out to a legal representative to discuss the possibility of receiving compensation to cover those additional costs.

The rise in these and other adverse events is largely blamed on the fact that these firms often enact aggressive cost-cutting measures – including reducing staff levels. Understaffing is already a serious problem in health care settings.

Private equity firms have also set their sights on nursing homes. The increase in these purchases has become so significant that in some areas, people can’t avoid a private equity-owned nursing home. 

Does private equity ownership affect the quality of care?

A recent study of nursing homes in another state found that private equity-owned facilities fared poorly compared to similar facilities not owned by private equity firms in multiple ways. These include:

• Significantly lower overall performance ratings
• Lower ratings for nurse staffing
• More citations for abuse
• Worse inspection results

Researchers stated, “Multiple studies confirm the harmful effects that private equity ownership has on nursing homes, and the increased risk placed on residents and workers.” 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the federal government is going to take any meaningful action. According to the study, under the first Trump administration, federal protocols were revised “to discourage regulators from levying fines against nursing homes” even when negligence, abuse or other wrongdoing resulted in residents’ deaths.

What can families do?

Families considering a nursing home or other care facility for a loved one need to carefully research their options. While it’s not always easy to determine the true ownership of a facility, there is generally plenty of reliable data available on them and how they rank in various areas, like those listed above.

Anyone who is concerned about neglect or abuse of a loved one should immediately talk to the management of the facility. If that doesn’t yield results or if physical, psychological or other harm has already been done, it’s wise to get experienced legal guidance.

Many of these injuries occur during routine activities, such as walking to the restroom, getting out of a chair or being assisted in bed. While accidents do occur, others happen because of unsafe surroundings, poor supervision or neglected safety practices. Knowing when an injury might have been preventable is the first step toward protecting your loved one’s rights.

Steps you can take after an injury

If a nursing home injury occurs, there are several actions you can consider to help your family and hold the facility accountable.

Some possible steps include:

• Filing a personal injury claim: This may cover medical bills, rehabilitation costs and compensation for pain and emotional distress.
• Requesting a state inspection: Reporting the event can prompt an official review of the facility’s safety measures and staff conduct.
• Reviewing safety records: Request documentation to verify whether staff adhered to fall-prevention or resident-care plans.
• Gathering proof: Collect photos, hospital reports and witness statements to solidify your case.
• Obtaining an independent medical review: A second opinion can help make a connection between the injury and the nursing home’s actions or lack of care.

Taking early steps not only helps your loved one but may also protect others in the same facility from future harm.

Nursing home injury can be devastating for families and the victim. Therefore, it’s wise to explore legal support to help you understand your options and find a way forward. A simple discussion with an experienced legal practitioner can bring clarity and help you hold liable parties accountable.

The issue with understaffing is that elderly residents can suffer injuries and other types of complications, even when the staff members who are on the schedule are doing everything they can to provide care. When someone is injured in a nursing home, family members often think that the staff members were negligent or simply did not help them when they needed it. But the truth may be that there were not enough staff members in the first place, so it was impossible for them to provide the necessary level of care.

Slip and fall accidents

For instance, elderly individuals may need assistance taking showers, making food or simply moving about the nursing home, such as going to dinner. If they do not get assistance and try to do these tasks on their own, they could suffer broken bones or traumatic brain injuries in a slip-and-fall accident.

Even if the staff members who were on site were helping as many residents as they could when the injury took place, the nursing home owner and operator may still be negligent. If they did not hire enough people or failed to put enough people on the schedule, then they have still created the dangerous conditions that led to this injury.

If you have a loved one who has been injured in a nursing home, be sure you know exactly what legal steps you can take.

For instance, an elderly person in a nursing home may spend almost every day lying or sitting in the same position. They need staff members to help them reposition themselves. But if they are neglected by the staff and do not get the assistance they need, bedsores can develop.

4 general stages

Although every situation is different and bedsores can have varying degrees of severity from one patient to the next, there are four basic stages to consider:

• Stage one: This is when the area may appear slightly irritated, but the skin is still intact.
• Stage two: This is when skin loss begins, and the wound is spreading and deepening through the upper layers of the skin, known as the epidermis and the dermis.
• Stage three: Skin loss becomes more extensive and the damage reaches subcutaneous tissue. This may be characterized by a foul-smelling odor.
• Stage four: These are the most serious injuries that have progressed beyond the skin and deep into the tissues beneath. In some cases, this means that fat, muscle and even bone can be damaged.

All four stages can be painful and may require medical treatment. Additionally, some bedsores that are even worse than stage four are hard to categorize because the damage itself makes them difficult to inspect. These could lead to infection and other health complications. 

Your legal options

Do you believe that a loved one suffered from serious bedsores or other injuries due to negligence in a nursing home or assisted living center? If so, take the time to carefully look into your legal options.

Maryland, Virginia and Washington are among the few states that permit electronic monitoring in nursing home residents’ rooms, but not without certain conditions.  

If you want to protect your loved one in a nursing home, installing a granny cam can be a good measure. However, you must be aware of the requirements and restrictions. 

When can you install a hidden camera in your loved one’s room? 

The conditions vary from state to state, but generally, you must satisfy the following to install a surveillance camera in your family member’s room: 

• Your loved one and their roommate consent to it 

• The nursing facility gives you permission and/or receives notification of the installation 

• The electronic device only records video, not audio 

If your loved one cannot make decisions for themselves due to mental incapacity or injury, their legal representative or health proxy may be able to provide consent on their behalf. 

How can a granny cam help prevent abuse or neglect? 

Hidden cameras may serve as a deterrent for negligent or abusive actions by nursing home staff. Moreover, they can capture evidence if abuse occurs. This can help prevent “he said, she said” situations that often make it difficult to pursue legal action against abusers. 

However, these devices are not complete remedies to nursing home abuse. Abuse and neglect often stem from systematic problems, such as understaffing, underfunding and lack of supervision. It is still crucial to watch out for signs of abuse or neglect and report the situation as soon as possible. 

If you want to install a camera in your loved one’s room, consider talking to an attorney who can help determine if it is both appropriate and legal. Legal guidance can also help you take action if you suspect your loved one is experiencing abuse or neglect in their facility. 

Falls during transfers

Falls top the list of transportation-related injuries in D.C. nursing homes. They happen when moving residents from beds to wheelchairs or from wheelchairs to vehicles. Falls can cause:

• Bruises and cuts
• Fractures, especially hip fractures
• Head injuries

To prevent falls, nursing homes should use correct transfer techniques, schedule enough staff for transfers and check transfer equipment often

Wheelchair tip-overs

Wheelchair tip-overs often occur during transport or on uneven surfaces. These accidents can lead to:

• Head and neck injuries
• Broken bones
• Severe bruising

Nursing homes can lower tip-over risks by teaching staff proper wheelchair handling, securing wheelchairs in vehicles and maintaining wheelchair ramps and lifts.

Vehicle-related injuries

Injuries can happen inside transport vehicles from sudden stops, sharp turns or crashes. Common vehicle-related injuries include:

• Whiplash
• Bruises from hitting vehicle interiors
• Worsening of existing health issues

To reduce these risks, nursing homes should use vehicles with good safety features, train drivers in safe driving and secure residents and mobility devices properly.

Families should ask nursing homes about their safety measures and staff training. Talking often helps ensure better care and can stop accidents. D.C. nursing homes must follow local rules and federal ADA standards for resident transport. These laws aim to keep residents safe during travel.

Now, if you suspect your loved one suffered an injury while being in the care of a nursing home, consider reaching out to a local attorney. They can help you find out what truly happened so your loved one gets the justice they deserve.

Unfortunately, there are often allegations that facilities and their staff are negligent or outright abusive. When a person is living in a nursing home and family members believe they have been neglected or mistreated, it is important to recognize the signs and know what options are available to hold the nursing home accountable. Recently, there have been growing complaints that are being investigated.

State ombudsman plans to address nursing home complaints

A local news investigation revealed how nursing home complaints are being mishandled. This has sparked the state ombudsman and other agencies to assess the problem. One specific incident involved a family who was unhappy with the care a family member was receiving. They contacted the State Office of Health Care Quality and did not receive any feedback, nor was anything done.

According to the state Deputy Health Secretary, these complaints should be thoroughly investigated and the family apprised of the progress, but this isn’t always the case.

Nursing home abuse should not be tolerated

People might not know where to turn if they think their loved one has been injured or died because of nursing home negligence. In many cases, they have even tried to contact state agencies to address the issue and received little to no assistance.

When nursing home injuries or death has happened and people either have clear evidence or suspect it was due to the facility and its staff, it is important to know their rights and to act quickly. Whether it was physical abuse, failure to provide nutrition, medication or treatment, there are options. Having professional help can give guidance with what can be done.

The victim was former United States representative from Texas, Eddie Bernice Johnson. The representative’s attorney said at a news conference that she developed an infection after spinal surgery and died from the effects of the infection.

The incident

On Sept. 21, 2023, Ms. Johnson’s son received a telephone call from his mother in the nursing home. She told him that she was experiencing severe pain and was getting no response from attendants at the nursing home. Mr. Johnson drove to the nursing home and found his mother lying in a pool of her own feces and urine.

Mr. Johnson could find no nurses on the floor where his mother was being treated. He then went to the office of the nursing home administrator. When the two returned to his mother’s room, they found staff members who were busy cleaning up the feces and urine.

The surgeon who performed the original surgery placed a note in Ms. Johnson’s records that stated that she was receiving no treatment despite the fact that she was screaming in pain and asking for help. The surgeon then performed a surgical repair of the infected wound. Ms. Johnson was moved to a skilled nursing facility and sent home for hospice care in mid-December. A laboratory analysis of the feces and urine in Ms. Johnson’s bed found organisms directly linked to human feces.

Rep. Johnson died on December 31.

The lawsuit

Rep. Johnson’s family said that they were going to commence a lawsuit against Baylor, Scott & White Institute for Rehabilitation and Baylor, Scott & White Health System based upon the negligence of the nursing home staff.

Based upon facts reported in the local media, the Johnson family appears to have a strong case for wrongful death based upon the negligence of the nursing home staff. The only question is proving causation. The Johnson family must produce one or more expert physicians who will testify that Ms. Johnson’s death was caused by the infection that resulted from her exposure to urine and feces while in the nursing home.

According to government statistics, up to 50% of nursing home patients fall annually.

Among those hundreds of thousands of patients who fall, 33% of them fall more than once in a year.

Falls can seriously injure anyone, but nursing home patients who are aging or ill are especially prone to severe fall injuries. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that of those patients who fall, 10%  suffer a hip fracture or some other serious injury.

Falls can cut short the life of a patient either directly or indirectly. Even if the patient escapes a spinal cord or head injury, they still may have to remain immobile for weeks or even months.

It can take time for a patient to get back to the quality of life they had before their fall, assuming they can do so at all. The loss of dependence and confidence can also take an emotional toll ono a patient which can in turn contribute to a medical decline.

Broken, inadequate equipment causes a high number of nursing home falls

The government attributed nursing home falls to several factors. Sometimes, a patient has lost the ability to balance themselves due to age. In other cases, the patient may have underlying psychological or medical problems.

In still other cases, a patient may fall because they are suffering from side effects of their medication.

Too often, falls happen because the nursing home facility failed to maintain their safety equipment or did not take care of their facility.

In other cases, the nursing home did not give the patient the tools they needed to stay safe, such as proper socks or shoes or items within easy reach.

These sorts of safety lapses can happen when, for example, a staff does not communicate well, is poorly trained or does not have adequate support and resources to give all the patients the care they deserve.

The point is that nursing home facilities can prevent falls and have a responsibility to do so. If they fail in this responsibility, victims may be entitled to compensation.

If that’s the case, then your loved one may be able to find accountability and recover compensation for his or her injuries by taking legal action. But how do you build one of these cases to better position yourself for success?

Tips for building your nursing home neglect case

The good news is that there are some things that you and your loved one can do right now to start building a nursing home neglect case. Here are some of those steps:

• Take pictures: If your loved one has been hurt, then be sure to take pictures of their injuries. This might help medical professionals better determine the cause of the injuries and help demonstrate to a jury the severity of the injuries suffered.
• Talk to other residents: By talking to other residents at the nursing home, you might gain a clearer sense of what type of care is provided and whether abusive or neglectful practices have been used in the past.
• Reach out to experts: Nursing home injuries can be suffered in a variety of ways, sometimes in simple accidents. You need to be able to distinguish your loved one’s injuries from accident injuries if you hope to recover compensation. A medical expert may be able to assist you with analyzing the injuries in question to determine their exact cause.

Don’t let a nursing home get away with abusive or neglectful behavior

Far too often, nursing homes and their staff escape liability because those who are harmed by abusive and neglectful behavior don’t take proper legal action.

Don’t let that happen to you and your loved one. Instead, think about discussing the circumstances of your case with an experienced legal professional who can help you build the case that you need.

Unfortunately, we sometimes hear heartbreaking stories of nursing home abuse and neglect that can cause us to worry if our loved one is being treated properly. Abuse and neglect in nursing homes are a form of negligence, and if our loved one sustains a nursing home injury due to this negligence, damages may be recovered. However, most of us would prefer to never have to get to that point.

Warning signs of a bad nursing home

There are many signs of a bad nursing home, some of which include:

• Lack of communication
• Lack of help with basic tasks
• Loneliness

A nursing home should respond to call requests or calls for help from patients immediately. Likewise, calls or messages from patient’s family members should be returned as soon as possible. If you are trying to reach a nursing home for an update on your loved one, and not getting a call back, it may be time to check out the nursing home.

Nursing home patients who need help with daily tasks such as eating should always receive it. Although many nursing homes are understaffed, that is not an excuse for neglecting patients, especially with things like daily meals. Patients who try to do things themselves that they should not be, could injure themselves.

Staff should be interacting with patients whenever possible. Patients should not be placed in front of a television, or in any other area where they do nothing but sit passively. Loneliness is a major issue in nursing homes, and if it seems like your loved one is not engaging in any activities, this could be a sign of neglect.

These signs of negligence increase the chance of a nursing home injury. Personal injury attorneys know how to prove negligence and obtain damages in the form of compensation.

The CMS maintains what it calls a Special Focus Facility, or SFF, Program. Nursing homes which land on the CMS’s SFF list or get mentioned as candidates for the list have, to some degree, a proven track record of not following CMS’s health and safety regulations.

Specifically, listed homes have a history of an abnormally high number of safety violations as documented in the home’s regular state or federal inspections.

A home may also wind up on the list for major violations, that is, those which actually involve a patient’s getting sicker or suffering an injury.

Overall lackluster performance on safety inspections, when the shortcomings are significant, can also be a reason a facility gets considered for the list.

Once on the SFF list, a nursing facility will have more frequent inspections. If the home can show improvement, it graduates off the list. Otherwise, the facility may wind up voluntarily withdrawing or being removed from the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

There are facilities in the Washington metro area which are on this list, and others have been listed as candidates for the SFF Program.

The SFF list does not mean there was neglect, but it could be a warning sign

To be fair, the fact that a nursing home is on the SFF list or a candidate for it does not mean there was an incident which injured a patient at all.

It certainly does not mean that a family which suspects nursing home abuse or neglect in a Maryland, D.C., or Virginia facility has a smoking gun for their case.

However, patients and their families should certainly pay attention to this list. If a facility is on it, it could be a sign that the facility simply does not take the health and safety of its patients as seriously as it should.

Unfortunately, there are many instances though when loved ones do not receive the proper care. Many people are the victims of nursing home abuse or neglect. Both of these can be very detrimental and create a terrible situation for loved ones who are there to receive care they cannot provide for themselves. While both nursing home abuse and nursing home neglect are both detrimental, there are differences between the two and those differences can lead to different damages for the loved one.

Nursing home abuse can be physical, verbal or psychological. Examples of this are being too rough when handling the patient; yelling at patients; hitting, slapping, kicking or other physical assaults of a patient; threatening or saying mean and derogatory statements to patients and other overt acts.

Nursing home neglect occurs when staff does not provide the proper care. This could be failing to complete exercises with the patient, not changing patients who have soiled themselves or helping them to the bathroom when they need to go; not giving routine baths; not properly caring for wounds; not keeping them hydrated or failing to perform other routine cares.

Neither nursing home abuse nor neglect are acceptable for patients at nursing homes in the D.C. area. It is important that people’s loved ones are receiving the proper cares and if they are not, it is important that the nursing home is held accountable for their actions. Victims of nursing home abuse and/or neglect may be entitled to compensation and the nursing home could receive punishments to prevent it from occurring to future patients. Abuse and neglect are not always readily apparent or easy to prove though and consulting with experienced attorneys could be beneficial.

Signs of nursing home abuse

There are different types of nursing home abuse to watch for. Physical abuse, such as broken bones or black eyes, can be more obvious, however, they may also be erroneously blamed on falls or other types of accidents. Other common signs of nursing home abuse can include bed sores.

Nursing home abuse can also be aggressive verbal abuse that may be critical and demeaning. Abuse that is sexual in nature can result in sexually transmitted diseases. Older adults who are being neglected may display poor hygiene. Financial abuse can result in victims turning over large sums of money to caregivers. Victims can also be pressured into signing legal documents that they do not understand.

Family and friends should watch for certain signs of possible nursing home abuse in their loved ones including withdrawing from normal activities; making statements that refer to possible abuse; being isolated such as not being able to maintain relationships; being unable to talk on the phone; or being unavailable when loved ones or authorities come to check on the victim’s welfare.

The consequences of nursing home abuse and neglect can be dire. Victims who have suffered nursing home abuse or neglect and have suffered injuries or worse should be familiar with the personal injury and wrongful death legal damages available to help victims and their families with the damages they have suffered.

• Document everything: One of the best things that you can do to build a nursing home abuse or neglect case is to document everything that you find suspicious. This means taking pictures of injuries and writing down what your loved one and nursing home staff say about the injuries.
• Talk to other residents: Nursing home abuse and neglect is rarely an isolated incident. Therefore, even if your loved one won’t or can’t talk about the incident, speak with other residents in the nursing home. They might give you a clear picture of systemic abuse and neglect that can help build your case.
• Obtain accident reports: Nursing homes should be documenting all injuries for their own records. Try to obtain those records to see what their official position is. You might be surprised to find that they’re either lying or failing to document injuries altogether.
• Get a medical opinion: If your loved one has been injured or developed a serious condition while in a nursing home, then you should seek out medical care for him or her. When you do, try to get the doctor’s opinion about what caused the injury or condition in question. This opinion can prove invaluable during litigation.

Protect your loved one and find accountability

Your loved one deserves to be safe. The sad reality is that in many instances that requires legal action. That’s why law firms like ours stand ready to fight to hold negligent and abusive nursing homes and their staffs accountable for the harm that they’ve caused. If you want to learn more about how we go about doing that, then please continue to research our firm and what we have to offer our clients.

Liability for nursing home abuse

Several different parties may be liable for nursing home injuries, neglect and abuse depending on the situation and circumstances. The ways in which nursing home facilities may be liable for nursing home abuse can include:

• Negligent supervision and care of employees and staff;
• Inadequately trained staff or understaffing;
• Negligent hiring and retention of employees and staff;
• Negligent maintenance of the premises or failing to provide for the security of the premises; and
• Negligent maintenance and selection of equipment used in the facility.

Signs of abuse or neglect

Signs of nursing home abuse and neglect can include bed-related injuries such as bedsores, falls, infections, dehydration, malnutrition, rapid weight loss, wandering or getting lost, emotional agitation, isolation or a reluctance to talk around staff members or an unexpected or unexplained death of a resident. Families and loved ones should be familiar with these signs, know what to watch for and know what to do and how to take action if they see any of them and believe their loved one may be the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect.

Legal recourse

When a family entrusts the care, safety and well-being of a loved one to a nursing home, having that loved one harmed because of nursing home abuse and neglect can be family members’ worst nightmare. A nursing home injury claim may be able to help them hold the negligent party accountable and receive help with their damages which is why victims of nursing home abuse and neglect should be familiar with the legal remedies available to them.

When staff is lax about properly caring for bedridden residents, bedsores are likely to occur. For people with compromised immune systems or those with limited mobility, bedsores can pose a serious, sometimes life-threatening issue. It is crucial that the families of nursing home residents understand the risk that bedsores pose they can take swift action.

Symptoms of bedsores

Bedsores start small and become more serious when there is a lack of intervention. The person’s skin may feel warmer or cooler than normal or exhibit a change in color. Over time, the area will become swollen. When serious, bedsores can penetrate deep into the skin and down to the bone. They are most likely to occur in areas with little padding, such as the tailbone, ankles, and spine.

How they are treated

Minor sores must be cleaned with soap and dressed with a sterile bandage to allow the skin time to heal. Sores involving open wounds should be flushed using a sterile saline solution. If there is damaged tissue present in the wound, a doctor can perform a debridement, which is a type of deep-cleaning procedure used on severe sores. Medication, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, can also be provided to limit discomfort.

How they can be prevented

Residents who are unable to move around on their own should be moved by nursing home staff on a regular basis. This prevents friction between the person’s skin and bedding, which will cause worsening irritation over time. The person should also be bathed on a daily basis, with nursing home staff ensuring skin is completely dry before dressing the resident in clean clothing. Even with these measures, staff should still be vigilant about checking the skin for developing sores so the proper treatment can be applied.