Wound Care
Why Is Proper Wound Care at Nursing Homes So Important?
Proper wound care is important at any age. Without it, wounds can get infected and a small nick or cut can become something much more serious. But when talking about the elderly, improper wound care becomes even more serious and can have extreme consequences. So what can you do if you suspect a loved one is receiving improper wound care at a nursing home? First check out proper wound care procedures below, and then call a elder neglect lawyer at The Husband & Wife Law Team.
While we generally think of nursing homes as being one of the safest places for our loved ones, the truth is that they can become injured by things such as bedsores, lesions, and cuts or gashes from a fall. In some cases, the residents of a nursing home start their stay after a surgical procedure, and so they already have wounds present. Nursing home staffs needs to be acutely aware of these cuts, and/or the possibility of these wounds, in order to provide them with the proper care.
What Does Proper Care of a Wound Include?
These are a few of the ways open wounds should be treated in a nursing home:
Cleaning the wound
Changing the dressing and bandages
Applying antibiotic ointment or a topical solution
Use of a skin assessment tool, such as Braden or Norton
Pressure ulcers should be analyzed to determine the stage they’re in, and this analysis should be documented in their chart or file
Skin graft surgery, if necessary
Once the wounds are analyzed, the nursing home staff needs to consult with a doctor or registered nurse to plan and implement the proper care needed for these wounds. Once the proper care has been administered, the staff then need to regularly check the wound, including undressing and redressing the wound in order to see it. This will help keep the wound clean and clear of infection.
What are the Consequences of Improper Wound Care?
Improper wound care for the elderly can have disastrous results. The immune systems of the elderly are vastly different than that of younger people. The skin simply isn’t able to heal as quickly as it once did, leaving the wounds open for longer and therefore more susceptible to things such as infection. If infection does set in, again the body simply can’t fight it as well, and so it can lead to bigger problems, such as required amputation. All of this from a simple cut or wound!
There are many signs of infection you can look for if you believe a wound your loved one has sustained is becoming infected. They include:
Extreme fatigue
Inability to lift/move affected area, such as their arm or leg
Fever
Puss or other substance oozing from the wound
Redness surrounding the wound
Extreme sensitivity/tenderness around the area of the wound
Swelling of the infected area
Heat emanating from the wound, or warm skin surrounding the wound
Unpleasant odor coming from the wound
Contact a Phoenix Elder Neglect Lawyer at The Husband & Wife Law Team
If you have a loved one staying at a Phoenix nursing home and you suspect they are not receiving proper wound care, contact The Husband & Wife Law Team today by calling us. We know how to take nursing homes to court and win. We have a panel of experts we call on in these instances, and these professionals will provide testimony that can get you the compensation you deserve. Don’t think that you or a loved one has to live with improper care of wounds or anything else they might face at a nursing home. The Husband & Wife Law Team can help. We’ve done it before, and we can do it for you, too.