Skin Conditions as a Result of Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect

    PHOENIX, AZ, July 30, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Nursing home abuse and neglect has become a national epidemic. The decision to place an elderly loved in a nursing home or assisted living facility can be a very difficult one. All families want and deserve to have their loved one treated just as well as they have treated him or in the past. Unfortunately, however, that is not always the case. Although federal and state laws are in place that require nursing homes maintain the highest levels of safety, there are more than just a few that have slipped through the cracks. Staff members at these homes are physically, emotionally, verbally, sexually and financially abusing and exploiting harmless, vulnerable seniors who cannot defend themselves against these horrific acts of abuse and neglect.

As the elderly population continues to grow, so, too, do the instances of elder abuse in nursing homes. What is even more disturbing than the high number of reported cases of elder abuse and neglect is knowing that there is an equal number of cases that go unreported due to fear, not being able to speak, or having no family members to report the incidents to. Experienced nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys can fight for your loved one's rights and hold the guilty parties responsible by making them pay (literally). Finding a lawyer who is also a medical doctor is not easy but they are out there; lawyers who are also doctors have the unique distinction of fully grasping the medical aspects of the case and being able to explain the injuries (or cause of death) to a judge and jury.

There are many consequences of abuse and neglect of the elderly. Due to their frailty, broken bones, bruises, cuts, and falls are seen day in and day out in some of the facilities that provide substandard care. Bed sores, also referred to as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are a very serious health hazard in our nation's nursing homes. If left untreated, bed sores can lead to infection, intense pain, gangrene, the need for amputation, and even death.

The integrity of the skin declines with age, and the elderly have a much weaker immune system than the young. Please take the following steps to avoid developing skin conditions in bed-ridden elderly patients:

- Take 2 or 3 showers/baths a week with warm, not hot, water
- Use soap made for dry skin
- Apply lotion immediately after drying skin to lock in moisture
- Drink liquids
- Use a humidifier during winter months and in dry climates
- Avoid saunas
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine

If you live in the Phoenix, Arizona area (or anywhere in the United States) and feel your loved one may be suffering from abuse or neglect in their nursing home, please visit the website of nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers who are also doctors, Cullan & Cullan, M.D., J.D at http://www.stopnursinghomeabuse.org.

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