Are pressure sores a sign of neglect?

If you or someone you know has ever suffered from ‘pressure sores’ or ‘bed sores’ (properly referred to as pressure ulcers), you’ll be familiar with how painful they can be. Pressure ulcers are not only uncomfortable and debilitating, they can also take months to heal, and can have such a huge impact on your quality of life and overall health.

Even when they do heal, large pressure ulcers leave scar tissue which is more likely to cause further sores- this means that they form more easily where previous pressure ulcers have been.

Pressure ulcers are not just limited to developing in hospitals – residential care and nursing homes also have patients who develop these nasty injuries.

What are pressure ulcers and how do they happen?

Generally known as bed sores, they commonly develop in individuals who are immobile, or people who go through a period of restricted mobility due to a short-term illness or injury. Due to this, their skin is pressed against a bed or chair for an extended period of time, and this causes damage to both the surface layer and deeper tissue layers of the skin.

Early symptoms of a pressure ulcer can include: the skin becoming discoloured, pain or itchiness in the area, and discoloured patches that don’t turn white when pressed. Symptoms that occur later on can be much more severe, including visible open wounds or blisters, as well as deep wounds that require regular monitoring to reduce the risk associated with open sores.

Are they a sign of neglect?

In short, they can be! As we mentioned above, they are more common in people who are bedbound or can’t move. But there are some factors that increase the risk of pressure ulcers. If plans were not put in place to take preventative action, then they may be a sign of neglect.

Some medical conditions that affect blood circulation, such as type 2 diabetes, increase the risk of pressure ulcers, as does the person’s age and some skin conditions like focal hyperhidrosis. Damp skin due to incontinence also increases the risk of developing sores.

The person’s perspective of their treatment

If you are reading on behalf of someone who you know suffers from pressure ulcers, it’s vitally important to take their opinions of their care and treatment into account.

While some adults are especially vulnerable, most people will have an understanding and (potentially strong!) opinions on how they’ve been looked after.

It’s worth noting if they’ve complained about any of the following:

– Have they had their concerns listened to? While in pain and whilst not in pain?

– Have they had any help moving or washing?

– Has there been an acknowledgement of their pressure ulcer?

– Have they complained about any other aspect of their care?

By determining the person’s perspective of their treatment, you can gain some understanding as to whether they believe their injuries were caused by neglect.

Collecting this information will be useful later down the line when seeking legal advice from a clinical negligence solicitor.

How we can help

At Harding Evans, our Clinical Negligence team are well-versed in handling sensitive medical issues and complaints.

We believe that pressure sores can be prevented in all but a few circumstances. If you believe that you or someone that you care about has suffered a pressure sore as a result of clinical negligence, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

To establish whether a negligence claim is possible, please contact a member of our team today.