As elderly family members grow older, sometimes it is necessary to put them into a nursing home. While these homes can be comfortable and enjoyable, you must choose wisely. Locate a home that will give your loved one the needed amount of time and attention. A major issue in nursing homes is the amount of bed-ridden individuals. These men and women are often ill, and spend the majority of their days lying in a bed. Paralysis, sedation, generally poor health, age fatigue, a coma, or injury can cause men and women to spend their days and nights in the same position without any physical activity to break the boredom.

Lying in these beds for such excessive amounts of time can create bedsores. These sores are also known as decubitus ulcers, pressure ulcers, or pressure sores. They are caused by unrelieved pressure to the skin, and can develop when a person lies in the same position for hours on end. Along with extreme discomfort, these ulcers can create infections and other serious, and sometimes life-threatening, conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every ten nursing home residents suffers from these sores.

Men and women who are confined to hospital-style beds can cultivate decubitus ulcers on their heads if the bed is set at higher than 30 degrees elevation for a prolonged amount of time. The Henry Mayo Clinic Information Board adds that people who are confined to a bed can acquire these sores on the rim of the ears, the shoulders, the hips, lower tail bone, heels, ankles, or the back of the knees. Individuals with bony frames need strategically placed pillows and blankets to avoid uncomfortable contact with their beds. Elderly people with protruding hip bones should lie at a 30 degree angle, so as to relieve pressure on the skin outside of their hips.

The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel outlines the development of a bedsore in four stages. At first, the skin remains intact, but the bedsore spot will be tender, and may discolor with pressure. By stage two, the ulcer will appear as a basin-like open wound. In stage three, the wound will progress and have a very deep, crater-like shape. Infection can develop at this stage. By stage four, the wound will bore a hole in the skin to expose muscles, bones or tendons. This is when the ulcers are at their most serious, and can create life threatening issues, especially for a senior. To avoid the consequences of a bedsore, a victim should be treated immediately by learned medical doctors. Surgery may be required in certain situations.

These ulcers are easier to prevent then to treat. If a bedridden individual is rotated every two hours or so, and is bolstered with pillows and other soft products that relieve pressure, bedsores are normally avoidable. For senior citizens with thin skin, it may be necessary to rotate more often. Pressure reducing mattresses are specially engineered for men and women who must remain in bed on a regular basis, and it is wise to purchase one if bedsores are an imminent danger. As well, it is important to keep the patient's skin clean and dry. Employees at nursing homes must take care to check their patient's skin every day, so that they can catch a bedsore before it becomes a severe problem.

The Nursing Home Abuse Centre suggests that bed-ridden seniors should be issued more calories, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Malnutrition results in a higher propensity to contract pressure ulcers. Also, physical therapy can help ill seniors to avoid bedsores. Even in-bed physical therapy can do a world of good for a bed-ridden patient. Pressure ulcers are one of the most common signs of nursing home malpractice. If you know someone in a nursing home who suffers from bedsores, you may want to investigate the situation and confirm that the workers are doing everything in their power to assure your senior's comfort.