Why should you worry about bed sores in a nursing home?

You might joke about your teenager getting bed sores if they do not get out of bed before midday. Yet if your parent has bed sores while in a nursing home, you need to worry. Unlike your teenager, they are not choosing to stay in bed.

Anyone in a nursing home does not have complete freedom of choice. They are there because they cannot look after themselves, make sound decisions for themselves, or no longer have the physical mobility to get out of bed without help.

Bed sores are a warning sign that nursing home staff may be neglecting your parent. If your parent is in bed all day long, it may be because the carers are not bothering to get them out of bed or not providing enough stimulation to make them want to get up.

Bed sores can lead to further deteriorations in health

Lying or sitting in the same position all day causes the body to degenerate. When people talk of someone wasting away, they are more on point than they might realize. Here are some statistics:

• Lying in bed for a week results in a 1% loss of muscle mass
• Lying in bed for two weeks results in a 10% loss of muscle mass
• Lying in bed for one month results in a 30% reduction in blood flow

Inactivity can lead to other conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. Bed sores can lead to infection, which could have severe consequences if the care home staff does not notice and arrange appropriate medical treatment.

You put your parent in a nursing home to prolong their life, not to accelerate their demise. Understanding your legal options is crucial if you feel your parent is a victim of nursing home neglect.