Oklahoma Ranks Low in Bedsore Elder Abuse Prevention

 Oklahoma ranks in the top five worst states for pressure ulcers prevention.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimate 7 percent of the state's nursing home residents developed bed sores from 2007 to 2008. During the same time period, the state had the third-highest ranking for pressure ulcers in the country.

According to statehealthfacts.org,a Web site maintained by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2008 there were more than 300 certified nursing homes in the state with about 20,000 residents.

Treatment is costly, and they are painful and emotionally distressing to have California elder abuse and neglect attorney Steven C. Peck indicates.

"If we want to truly care for a patient, then everyone involved needs to step up and address this," Peck says.

Known commonly as bed sores, pressure ulcers are areas on the skin where circulation and blood flow are cut off because of continued pressure. They often occur near the pelvis and around bony parts of the body, and are common in the elderly, bed-ridden and paralyzed.

In areas where circulation is cut off, the skin turns red at first. If the pressure continues, tissues can decay as deep as the bone, says Peck a california nursing home abuse and neglect attorney located in Los Angeles, California.

They can range from $2,000 to $70,000 to treat. About 60,000 people die nationally from complications from bed sores each year, Peck says.

Much of the cost associated with treating the pressure ulcers isn't covered by Medicare or Medicaid, Medicare and Medicaid do not reimburse facilities for pressure ulcer treatment because they are considered reasonably preventable. Often this cost is shouldered by the hospital or nursing home.

Steven Peck indicates " since the sores are seen as preventable, nursing homes are often found liable when family members of patients bring lawsuits against a facility for the ulcers and their complications."

Prevention and care
Preventing pressure sores is paramount. But it's not always possible. Often at the end of life, a person's body is already weak and breaking down. Their nutrition is poor, and they largely are immobile. Patients also are brought in from hospitals and other places already having the sores. Treating the most advanced sores can take as long as a year. Constant monitoring, specialized nurses and equipment are often needed. Lower severity ulcers still can take months to treat with creams, the proper moisture level and keeping pressure off the site. Pressure ulcers are ranked on a scale of severity, one being the least and four being the most severe case.

"Just imagine taking the top layers of your skin off or all the way down to your muscle. Of course, it hurts, and you can't move to get off it sometimes," california elder abuse attorney Steven C. Peck states and "often patients can't voice their pain because of severe illness or their mental state. But it's clear they are hurting. "

It brings on the need for pain medications, which can cause other health problems. It's a constant circle that you're fighting. But that's why you have total patient care.

Nurses work directly with patients, know their needs, and know what it takes to prevent bed sores. It all centers around nutrition, care and movement.

"You have to know how to prevent before you know how to heal," Peck says.

It's very important for family members to ask providers about measures they use to prevent bed sores. If one develops, a wound care specialist should be assigned to the case and the wound's healing tracked.

If a staff is constantly rotating in and out, the lack of consistent assignment can also be a contributing factor to them developing,

Skin care is an important line of defense in stopping sores, Keeping the skin dry and rotating the patient is necessary. Nutrition and hydration also are key.

So many times we are focused on an acute illness, and the skin takes a back seat.