Introduction

Elder abuse is a very serious topic and one that is not discussed as often as it should be. Furthermore, elder abuse is increasing across the country. Since the number of senior citizens entering nursing homes is increasing, there has been a need for nursing homes to hire more staff members. Unfortunately, some of these staff members do not have the proper experience or the proper qualifications.

Both of these factors serve to make elder abuse a very serious topic, and one of the aspects of elder abuse that is very important for people to understand is being able to recognize the warning signs. An example of a warning sign would be bedsores on the body of the elder, and the rest of this article is dedicated to examining this warning sign in more detail.

What are bedsores?

The laws of physics state that when a person lies down on a bed they are exerting a force on the bed equal and opposite to the force being exerted on them by the bed. Therefore, the two objects (the body and the bed) are pushing against each other. If this goes on for a very long time (i.e. days) then it is quite possible that a person might develop bedsores.

Bedsores are not always a sign of elder abuse. A person in a hospital might develop bedsores just as easily as an elder in a nursing home, but in the specific context of elder abuse, bedsores are often suspicious. The reason bedsores are suspicious in seniors is because nobody expects a senior to be bed ridden for days if he or she is well enough to remain out of the hospital and in his or her senior citizen’s home. Therefore, if you see bedsores on an elder you might want to think about investigating the matter further.

Dealing with Bedsores

Bedsores like any other sore on the skin are going to be painful at first and then eventually dull with time if nothing happens to make them worse. If you are currently suffering from bedsores or know somebody that is then you need to bring him or her to the doctor. The doctor will examine the whole body to make sure that nothing more than a few bedsores is wrong with the patient and then prescribe things to help take away the pain of the sores and expedite the healing process. These things might include ointments and related skin care products, but the best thing to do if you are looking for a way to accelerate the healing process is to go talk to your doctor.

Legalities

There are a number of different legal issues that might be involved with bedsores, especially if the bedsores are the result of elder abuse or negligence. If you suspect that a lawsuit might be in the future then you should go see a lawyer as soon as possible. The lawyer will be able to give you advice on what to do next.