California Injury Attorney Blog

TYPES OF PRESSURE ULCERS & BED SORES
There are several types of skin ulceration. Pressure ulcers or bedsores occur when the skin is subjected to constant pressure, which is why they happen so frequently in hospitals and in older patients. They generally start as a blister, and then become an open sore, finally ending in a "crater." In addition to pressure ulcers, areas of skin breakdown may be due to other types of ulcers, having to do with insufficient blood flow or to diabetic neuropathy.

Insufficient blood flow through the veins usually occurs in the lower legs, and can result in venous insufficiency ulcers, which are often chronic and difficult to heal. They can cause pain in the foot and usually appear purplish in color. They are never found above the level of the knee or in the forefoot, and may occur singly or in multiples.

A related condition, caused by insufficient blood flow through the arteries, is known as arterial insufficiency ulcers, which are painful lesions that usually occur over the ankle or other areas of the foot. Although they may be seen near bony prominences (i.e., joints), they are distinguished from pressure ulcers by their "punched-out" or star-like appearance. The wound may be pale and dry, surrounded by red and taut skin, and can include an area of dead skin.

Diabetic ulcers occur on the foot, usually over the joints or on the top of the toes. These ulcers often occur on the ball of the foot in diabetic patients, due to neuropathy or repetitive injury. Diabetic foot ulcers are often surrounded by a significant thickening of the skin, and are usually insensitive to touch.

There are other, less common causes of ulcers in the legs and feet, which include connective tissue diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), sickle cell disease, and certain forms of cancer. One's doctor should take special precaution to rule out these more serious conditions before arriving at a diagnosis of an ulcer.

Continue reading "Pressure Ulcers, Bedsores also known As Decubitus Ulcers Occur When The Skin is Subjected To Constant Pressure" »

A new study questions why nursing homes sent many people with advanced dementia to hospitals for problems that could be treated in the home. The study focused on the care of 475,000 people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. These are terminal illnesses. The study looked people's care in their last months of life. It found that nearly 1 out of 5 nursing home residents had such questionable hospital stays.

People were sent to hospitals for treatment of urinary tract infections, pneumonia and dehydration, among other problems. These usually can be treated in a nursing home. The study does not address why the hospital stays occurred. But researchers said money could be one reason. Medicaid is the main payer for nursing home care. But Medicare, the health insurance program for the elderly, will pay for skilled nursing home care right after a hospital stay. The Medicare payment is about 3 times as high as the Medicaid payment.

Continue reading "Elder Abuse In The Questionable Transfers From Nursing Homes To Hospitals" »

Many nursing homes are so understaffed they may be endangering the welfare of their patients, according to a new report by federal health officials.

The report, which will be presented to Congress later this month, recommends stricter guidelines that would require thousands of nursing homes to hire more nurses and nurses' aides, The New York Times reported today.

After eight years of research, health officials concluded that understaffing has contributed to increased incidences of severe bedsores, malnutrition, and abnormal weight loss among nursing home patients.

Problems Could Be Prevented?

A high number of those patients end up developing life-threatening infections, dehydration and other problems that could have been prevented had the homes been staffed adequately, the study said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends new federal standards to guarantee that patients receive a minimum of two hours of care each day from nurses aides, among other things. The study says that 54 percent of nursing homes currently fall below the proposed minimum standard.

The report also recommends that patients receive at least 12 minutes a day of care from registered nurses. Currently, 31 percent of nursing homes do not meet that standard.

Continue reading "Understaffing Compromises the Welfare of Patients In Skilled Nursing Facilities" »

Skilled nursing facilities whose patients are too frequently admitted to the hospital would face stiff new penalties according to the deficit reduction plan proposed by President Obama on Sept. 20, 2011. These admissions are often caused by Bed Sores, Pressure Sores also known as Decubitus Ulcers, falls, infections, or poor medication management.

Overall, as part of a broad deficit reduction plan, Obama would cut more than $300 billion from projected Medicare and Medicaid spending. Some would come from cuts in general payments to nursing homes, home health agencies, other providers, and drug companies. Some would result in higher out-of-pocket costs for seniors themselves. But one little-noticed provision is aimed squarely at facilities with high hospital admission rates.

An estimated 40 percent of nursing facility residents are admitted to the hospital in a typical year, and one-quarter of these may be preventable, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. A congressional review panel estimates that about 14 percent of patients discharged directly from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities are sent back to the hospital for conditions that could have been avoided.

I've seen hospital emergency rooms filled with very frail seniors on Friday afternoons. Why? Because nursing homes know they won't have enough weekend staff to care for their sickest residents, so they simply send them back to the hospital. The new rules could stop those practices.

And the penalty for violations would be steep: Nursing facilities would lose up to 3 percent of their Medicare payment. For institutions whose margins are often razor-thin, three percent could be the difference between success and failure.

Because this is a Medicare penalty, it would only apply to those patients who are receiving rehabilitation or recovering from a hospital stay. It would not apply to long-stay residents receiving Medicaid. However, these changes could easily be expanded to Medicaid as well.

This readmission rule is similar to one soon to be imposed on hospitals under the 2010 health law. And while those hospital penalties have not yet kicked-in, they have already fundamentally changed the way those institutions think about their patients. Today, because Medicare pays for admissions no matter what the cause, the current system perversely encourages round trips to the hospital, especially in poor performing facilities with lots of empty beds. After all, a readmitted patient generates revenue. The hospital readmission rule radically changes those incentives.

If Congress approves Obama's idea, nursing homes also may have to rethink the way they do business. They'll have to more carefully care for patients even as other provisions of the health law encourage them to treat more complicated cases. To make the challenge even more difficult for nursing homes, Obama has also proposed reducing overall payments for post-hospital nursing home care by $32 billion over 10 years.

Skilled nursing facilities are also feeling pressure from hospitals themselves to reduce readmissions. Now, by hammering nursing homes directly, Obama would only reinforce the message.

Continue reading "Frequent Transfer of Elders and Dependant Adults From Skilled Nursing Facilities Could Cause Them to Incur Stiffer penalties" »

Estimates indicate that 1 to 3 million people inthe US develop pressure ulcers each year .According to the Joint Commission, more than 2.5 million patients in United States (US) acute care facilities suffer from pressure ulcers, and 60,000 die from pressure ulcer complications each year .

Pressure ulcers can reduce overall quality of life due to pain, treatments, and increased length of institutional stay, and may also contribute to premature mortality in some patients .Therefore, any intervention that may help to prevent pressure ulcers or to treat them once they occur is important to reduce the cost of pressure ulcer care and improve quality of life for affected individuals.

The burden of having a pressure ulcer is high, in physical, emotional and financial terms. Data from 2009 indicates that the cost of treating pressure ulcers may range from $9.3 to 16.0 billion annually. AHRQ reported that pressure ulcer-related
hospitalizations ranged from 13 to 14 days and cost $16, 755 to $20,430 compared to the average stay of 5 days and costs approximately $10,000. The Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS) reports the cost of treating a pressure ulcer in acute care (as a secondary diagnosis) is $43,180.00 per hospital stay. Contributing cost factors include increased length of stay due to pressure ulcer complications such as pain, infection, high tech support surfaces, and decreased functional ability. In addition to the financial cost of pressure ulcers, mortality rates are disturbing. A recent
AHRQ document reports 503,300 pressure ulcer-related hospitalizations in 2006 which
included 45,500 hospital admissions in which patients had pressure ulcers as the primary diagnosis. Of these admissions, one in 25 admissions ended in death. Another 457,800 pressure ulcer-related hospital admissions noted pressure ulcer as the secondary diagnosis. Of these admissions, the death rate was one in eight.

Continue reading "Over 60,000 People Die Each Year From the Complications of Bed Sores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers" »

Tips for preventing pressure ulceration
Risk Assessment:

Risk assessment tools, such as the Waterlow and Braden scales act as a prompt enabling clinicians to recognize any risk of pressure ulcer development. They encompass a range of factors known to influence the development of pressure ulcers, such as those mentioned above.

All patients should have a pressure ulcer risk assessment undertaken within six hours of admission into an acute area, such as a skilled nursing facility or a long term care hospital and this should be regularly reviewed throughout their stay. This will aid identification of individuals with an increased risk of pressure ulceration at the earliest stage.

It is vital that structured and clearly documented risk assessment is undertaken to ensure that risk factors are recognized and acted upon in an appropriate and timely fashion.

Continue reading "Risk Assessment A Proper Tool To Recognize Bed Sores. Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcer Development" »

Signs of MRSA

Signs of MRSA include respiratory issues, infections around open wounds, and urinary tract issues. To discover if a resident has this bacterium a swab of the nostrils and a microscope examination for the bacterium is needed. It does not take long for MRSA to worsen. Usually the initial symptoms appear in 24 to 48 hours, and after 72 hours it is resistant to treatment. MRSA can be prevented with proper cleaning and care of patients. Treatment is through vancomycin or teicoplanin and if used early enough can stop the infection before death can occur.

Signs of VRSA

VRSA is vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. VRSA can result from treatment of MRSA with vancomycin and teicoplanin. The patient may become resistant to the original infection, as well as the drug being used to stop the infection from spreading. This particular bacterium is rarer than MRSA, but it does occur with increasing regularity. The bacteria will thicken the cell walls depleting the amount of vancomycin that enters the blood stream and kills the bacteria. Patients with this infection must be isolated to avoid spreading it throughout the rest of the SNF. They may also have to be placed on a pump to clean out their system of the vancomycin before trying another drug. The bacterium has to be isolated in the body to help eradicate it.

Looking for Risk Factors

VRSA and MRSA are just two inflectional bacterium found in SNFs that you should look for before placing a loved one. To keep residents at SNFs free of this inflectional bacterium the staff must provide proper housekeeping, hygiene, and keep to federal and state regulations regarding care facilities.

Continue reading "MRSA and VRSA signs of Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect" »

How to Prevent Bed Sores
Bedsores, also known as pressure sores or pressure ulcers, are parts of the skin and tissue that are damaged. Bedsores are a concern for people confined to a bed. Oftentimes, sleeping in the same position causes bedsores, as does moisture in the bed and resting on joints. If you are looking for ways to prevent bedsores, either for yourself, a loved one or a patient, consider the following suggestions.

Avoid bedsores by changing lying positions every couple of hours. Repositioning someone who is unable to move can be made easier by using bed linens. With this method, you can roll someone gently to a side position from a back position, or vice versa, without causing any friction to the skin.

Consider investing in a special mattress if you are caring for a person confined to a bed on a full-time basis. Check with the doctor for a recommendation on whether you should opt for an air, water, foam or some other type mattress. There are also cushions you can purchase specifically designed to prop a person in different positions.

Be sure to avoid pressure sores by not positioning the body on a bony area. You can make good use of pillows or special cushions to position the body at an angle or float areas between the legs. Keep the body straight, and avoid certain areas being aggravated by joints.

Incorporate as much activity as possible for bedridden people, the extent of which is dependent on what the person is capable of. Exercise keeps the blood flowing and maintains muscle. Additionally, keeping active rouses the appetite. All of this leads to healthy skin, and healthy skin is less prone to bedsores.

Inspect the skin all over the body for sore areas on a daily basis. If you find some, treat the area to prevent it from getting worse. Maintaining healthy skin means bathing it gently and applying a little lotion to dry areas. If the person can check the skin with a mirror, have him do it regularly, especially areas that feel uncomfortable. If the bedridden person uses diapers, change diapers regularly to avoid moisture irritating the skin.

Maintain healthy skin by incorporating a nutritional diet that will improve the skin and protect against bedsores. Focus on fruits, vegetables, proteins and dairy. Cut out fats and sugar. Ask the doctor about supplemental vitamins and minerals that the bedridden person may be lacking.

Make sure that the bedridden person increases fluid intake, specifically water. Hydration is necessary for healthy skin, and healthy skin is less likely to get agitated with bedsores.

Cut out or cut back on alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine. All of these habits are bad for your skin, which will make it vulnerable to pressure sores.

Continue reading "How to Prevent Bed Sores, Decubitus Ulcers and Pressure Sores By Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer Steven Peck" »

Here are a few possible tips on some warning signs that may indicate abuse.
• Physical Abuse. Does your love one or someone you know have slap marks, unexplained bruises, burns, pressure sores or blisters. Do they flinch when they are touched?
• Emotional Abuse. Is someone being yelled at, bullied or tormented? Has someone discussed their concerns to you? Are they showing unusual behavior? Are they withdrawing from normal activities. Do they seem scared or nervous around certain people that can not be explained?
• Sexual Abuse. Are they showing bruises around the breasts or genital area? Do they show fear around someone that can not be explained?
• Financial Abuse. Is there a sudden change in finances? Are the accounts, wills and trust being altered in some way? Is there a loss of property that can not be explained?
• Neglect. Unexplained pressure ulcers, malnutrition or dehydration. Are they dirty or is there a lack of medical care? Are they being taken care of the way you expected?

Continue reading "Have You Or A Loved One Been Personally Injured or Abused?" »

Bedsores, also called decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers, or pressure sores, begin as tender, inflamed patches that develop when a person's weight rests against a hard surface, exerting pressure on the skin and soft tissue over bony parts of the body. For example, skin covering a weight-bearing part of the body, such as a knee or hip, is pressed between a bone and a bed, chair, another body part, splint, or other hard object. This is most likely to happen when the person is confined to a bed or wheelchair for long periods of time and is relatively immobile. Usually, mobile individuals, when either conscious or unconscious, will receive nerve signals from the compressed part of the body and will automatically move to relieve the pressure. Pressure sores do not usually develop in people with normal mobility and mental alertness. However, people compromised through acute illness, heavy sedation, unconsciousness, or diminished mental functioning, may not receive signals to move, and as a result of the constant pressure, tissue damage may progress to bedsores in these individuals.

Demographics

Each year, about one million people in the United States develop bedsores at a treatment cost of $1 billion. Pressure sores are most often found in elderly patients; records show that two thirds of all bedsores occur in people over age 70. People who are neurologically impaired, such as those with spinal injuries or paralysis, are also at high risk. Pressure sores have been noted as a direct cause of death in about 8% of paraplegics.

In 1992, the Federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research reported that bedsores afflict:

* 10% of all hospital patients
* 25% of nursing home residents
* 60% of quadriplegics

Description

Bedsores range from mild inflammation to ulceration (breakdown of tissue) and deep wounds that involve muscle and bone. This painful condition usually starts with shiny red skin that quickly blisters and deteriorates into open sores. These sores become a target for bacterial contamination and will often harbor life-threatening infection. Bedsores are not contagious or cancerous, although the most serious complication of chronic bedsores is the development of malignant degeneration, which is a type of cancer.

Bedsores develop as a result of pressure that cuts off the flow of blood and oxygen to tissue. Constant pressure pinches off capillaries, the tiny blood vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin. If the skin is deprived of essential oxygen and nutrients (a condition known as ischemia) for even as little as an hour, tissue cells can die (anoxia) and bedsores can form. Even the slightest rubbing, called shear, or friction between a hard surface and skin stretched over bones, can cause minor pressure ulcers. They can also develop when a patient stretches or bends blood vessels by slipping into a different position in a bed or chair.

Since urine, feces, or other moisture increases the risk of skin infection, people who suffer from incontinence, as well as immobility, have a greater than average risk of developing bedsores.

Unfortunately, people who have been successfully treated for bedsores have a 90% chance of developing them again. While the pressure sores themselves can usually be cured, about 60,000 deaths per year are attributed to complications caused by bedsores. They can be slow to heal, particularly when the patient's overall status may be weakened. Without proper treatment, bedsores can lead to:

* gangrene (tissue death)
* osteomyelitis (infection of the bone beneath the bedsore)
* sepsis (a poisoning of tissue or the whole body from bacterial infection)
* other localized or systemic infections that slow the healing process, increase the cost of treatment, lengthen hospital or nursing home stays, or cause death

Bedsores are most apt to develop on bony parts of the body, including:

* ankles
* back of the head
* heels
* hips
* knees
* lower back
* shoulder blades
* spine

Although impaired mobility is a leading factor in the development of pressure sores, the risk is also increased by illnesses and conditions that weaken muscle and soft tissue, or that affect blood circulation and the delivery of oxygen to body tissue, leaving skin thinner and more vulnerable to breakdown and subsequent infection. These conditions include:

* atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) that restricts blood flow
* diabetes
* diminished sensation or lack of feeling, unable to feel pain
* heart problems
* incontinence (inability to control bladder or bowel movements)
* malnutrition
* obesity
* paralysis
* poor circulation
* infection
* prolonged bed rest, especially in unsanitary conditions or with wet or wrinkled sheets
* spinal cord injury

Diagnosis/Preparation

Physical examination , medical history, and patient and caregiver observations are the basis of diagnosis. Special attention must be paid to physical or mental problems, such as an underlying disease, incontinence, or confusion that could complicate a patient's recovery. Nutritional status and smoking history should also be noted.

The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) recommends classification of bedsores in four stages of ulceration based primarily on the depth of a sore at the time of examination. This helps standardize the language and encourages effective communication of medical personnel caring for patients with bedsores. The NPUAP advises that not all bedsores follow the stages directly from I to IV. The four most widely accepted stages are described as:

* Stage I: intact skin with redness (erythema) and sometimes with warmth.
* Stage II: partial-thickness loss of skin, an abrasion, swelling, and possible blistering or peeling of skin.
* Stage III: full-thickness loss of skin, open wound (crater), and possible exposed under layer.
* Stage IV: full-thickness loss of skin and underlying tissue, extends into muscle, bone, tendon, or joint. Possible bone destruction, dislocations, or pathologic fractures (not caused by injury).

In addition to observing the depth of the wound, the presence or absence of wound drainage and foul odors, or any debris in the wound, such as pieces of dead skin tissue or other material, should also be noted. Any condition that could likely contaminate the wound and cause infection, such as the presence of urine or feces from incontinence, should be noted as well.

A doctor should be notified whenever a person:

* will be bedridden or immobilized for an extended time period
* is very weak or unable to move
* develops redness (inflammation) and warmth or peeling on any area of skin

Immediate medical attention is required whenever:

* skin turns black or becomes inflamed, tender, swollen, or warm to the touch
* the patient develops a fever during treatment
* a bedsore contains pus or has a foul-smelling discharge

Prompt medical attention can prevent surface pressure sores from deepening into more serious infections. The first step is always to reduce or eliminate the pressure that is causing bedsores. For minor bedsores, stages I and II, treatment involves relieving pressure, keeping the wound clean and moist, and keeping the area around the ulcer clean and dry. This is often accomplished with saline washes and the use of sterile medicated gauze dressings that both absorb the wound drainage and fight infection-causing bacteria. Antiseptics , harsh soaps, and other skin cleansers can damage new tissue and should be avoided. Only saline solution should be used to cleanse bedsores whenever fresh non-stick dressings are applied.

The patient's doctor may prescribe infection-fighting antibiotics , special dressings or drying agents, and/or lotions or ointments to be applied to the wound in a thin film three or four times a day. Warm whirlpool treatments are sometimes recommended for sores on the arm, hand, foot, or leg.

Typically, with the removal or reduction of pressure in conjunction with proper treatment and attention to the patient's general health, including good nutrition, bedsores should begin to heal two to four weeks after treatment begins.

Surgical options are often considered for non-healing wounds. When deep wounds are not responding well to standard medical procedures, consultation with a plastic surgeon may be needed to determine if reconstructive surgery is the best possible treatment. In a procedure called debriding, a scalpel may be used to remove dead tissue or other debris from Stage III and IV wounds. A surgical procedure called urinary (or fecal) diversion may also be used with incontinent patients to divert the flow of urinary or fecal material--this keeps the wound clean and encourages wound healing. Reconstruction involves the complete removal of the ulcerated area and surrounding damaged tissue (excision), debriding the bone, and reducing the amount of bacteria in the area with vigorous flushing (lavage) with saline solution. The surgical wound is then drained for a period of days until it is clear that no infection is present and that healing has begun. Plastic surgery may follow to close the wound with a flap (skin from another part of the body), providing a new tissue surface over the bone. For surgery to succeed, infection must not be present. Complications can occur after reconstructive surgery; these include bleeding under the skin (hematoma), wound infection, and the recurrence of pressure sores. Infection in deep wounds can progress to life-threatening systemic infection. Amputation may be required when a wound will not heal or when reconstructive surgery is not an option for a particular patient.

Alternatives

Zinc and vitamins A, C, E, and B complex provide necessary nutrients for the skin and help it to repair injuries and stay healthy. Large doses of vitamins or minerals should not be used without a doctor's approval.

A poultice made of equal parts of powdered slippery elm ( Ulmus fulva ), marsh mallow ( Althaea officinalis ), and echinacea blended with a small amount of hot water can relieve minor inflammation. An infection-fighting rinse of two drops of essential tea tree oil (Melaleuca) to every 8 oz (0.23 g) of water can also be administered. An herbal tea made from calendula ( Calendula officinalis ) is also an effective antiseptic and wound healing agent. Calendula cream can also be used.

Contrasting hot and cold compresses applied to the bedsore site can increase circulation to the area and help flush out waste products, speeding the healing process. The temperatures should be extreme (very hot and ice cold), yet tolerable to the skin. Hot compresses should be applied for three minutes, followed by 30 seconds of cold compress application, repeating the cycle three times. The cycle should always end with a cold compress.

Prevention

It is usually possible to prevent bedsores from developing or worsening. In 1989, the NPUAP set a goal that pressure sores be reduced by 50% by 2000. Because of the varying ways in which the number of cases were recorded during this timeframe, the NPUAP is finding it difficult to analyze accurate incident accounts. However even with the diversity of recording methods and the difficulties in comparing data, small group data indicates that progress has been made with the standardization of guidelines and care.

All patients recovering from illness or surgery or confined to a bed or wheelchair long-term should be inspected regularly; they should be bathed or should shower every day using warm water and mild soap; and patients should avoid cold or dry air. Bedridden patients who are either mentally unaware or physically unable to turn themselves, must be repositioned regularly by caregivers at least once every two hours while awake. People who use a wheelchair should be encouraged to shift their weight every 10 or 15 minutes, or be repositioned by caregivers at least once an hour. It is important to lift, rather than to drag, a person being repositioned. Bony parts of the body should not be massaged. Even slight friction can remove the weakened top layer of skin and damage blood vessels beneath it.

If the patient is bedridden, sensitive body parts can be protected by:

* sheepskin pads
* special cushions placed on top of a mattress
* a water-filled mattress
* a variable-pressure mattress with individually inflatable sections to redistribute pressure

Pillows or foam wedges can prevent a bedridden patient's ankles from irritating each other, and pillows placed under the legs from mid-calf to ankle can raise the heels off the bed. Raising the head of the bed slightly and briefly can provide relief, but raising the head of the bed more than 30 degrees can cause the patient to slide, thereby causing damage to skin and tiny blood vessels.

A person who uses a wheelchair should be encouraged to sit up as straight as possible. Pillows behind the head and between the legs can help prevent bedsores, as can a special cushion placed on the chair seat. Donutshaped cushions should not be used because they restrict blood flow and cause tissues to swell.

Special support surfaces are manufactured and readily available for care in medical facilities or at home, including: air-filled mattresses and cushions, low-air loss beds, and air-fluidized beds. These devices give adequate support while reducing pressure on vulnerable skin. They have been shown to exert less pressure on the skin of compromised patients than do regular mattresses. Patients using these devices and beds must still be repositioned every two hours.

Continue reading "Bedsores, Pressure Sores and Decubitus Ulcers What Are They?" »

f you have ever had to make the difficult decision of placing someone you love into a nursing home then you know how agonizing the decision making process and its implementation can be. Sometimes it seems, though, that you really have no other choice.

If someone close to you has become very ill and cannot adequately perform many of the simple acts of daily life then your options are quite limited.

If they are ill, or cannot easily move around perhaps you may have considered caring for them in your own home. But if you work, or if the nature of their challenges are just too much for you to handle you often are left with few if any other options other than placing them into what you believe would be a caring environment.

Right now there are approximately 17,000 nursing homes in the United States that house about 1.6 million people. And with the baby boomer generation getting older those numbers will probably grow by leaps and bounds. Current estimates predict that by 2020 twelve million aging Americans will need long term care.

Nursing home abuse was and still is a widespread problem. A study done by the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee in 2001 showed that there were close to 9,000 incidents of nursing home abuse from January 1999 through January 2001; 5,283 facilities - roughly 30% of all nursing homes - were cited for abuse within that timeframe.

So what can you do to protect the ones you love if the nursing home that they are in does not provide the necessary care and attention they need? What can you do to ensure that their safety is not neglected? And what could you do if you suspect that there are any problems?

First, you should regularly visit your loved ones. Be attentive to these signs of abuse:

- Any sign of neglect. It could be poor hygiene, unusual loss of weight, dehydration, or bedsores.

- Are the living conditions unsafe, hazardous, or unsanitary?

- Is your loved one exhibiting either a sudden behavioral and/or emotional change?

- Are there any unexplained physical injuries?

- Are there unexplained financial discrepancies?

The law provides protection for nursing home residents. The Nursing Home Reform Act (NHRA) was passed in 1987. Intended to protect the residents' quality of life and improve the quality of care that is provided by their caregivers, the act includes the Nursing Home Residents' Bill of Rights.

If you suspect abuse first visit the National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center website and find out how to contact your state's Ombudsman Program.

Continue reading "Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect: A Widespread Problem " »