An Iowa nursing home is being sued for allegedly causing the death of an 83-year-old resident whose pressure sores progressed to huge, open wounds on her body.
According to a lawsuit filed this week, the resident was admitted to the nursing home in June 2021. On April 18, 2022, she was transferred to a hospital emergency room where the medical staff found a large open wound on her buttocks and another on the heel of her foot. The emergency room physician reported that the wound on her buttocks was contaminated with feces and ran very deep, exposing muscle and bone.
The resident was then transferred to a different hospital for a higher level of care, where the staff photographed the wounds and admitted her to the critical care unit. On May 6, she died at the hospital, with the immediate cause of death listed as sepsis that resulted from a bone infection near the base of the spine.
The lawsuit filed by the resident’s estate seeks unspecified damages for negligence. The defendants include the nursing home and its corporate owners.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
F686 Skin Integrity in the State Operations Manual Appendix PP states that based on the comprehensive assessment of a resident, facilities must ensure that a resident receives care, consistent with professional standards of practice, to prevent pressure ulcers and does not develop pressure ulcers unless the individual’s clinical condition demonstrates that they were unavoidable. It also states that a resident with pressure ulcers must receive necessary treatment and services, consistent with professional standards of practice, to promote healing, prevent infection, and prevent new ulcers from developing.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding provision of care to prevent, treat, and heal pressure ulcers, including the involvement of a wound care provider.
- Train staff about abuse and neglect and the protocols they should follow to prevent development of pressure ulcers, and provide education on proper wound care for healing of existing wounds. Perform annual competency determinations of appropriate staff members’ ability to perform wound care and to implement preventive measures. Provide additional training where needed.
- Periodically audit to determine if protocols for preventing and treating/healing pressure ulcers are in place and being followed. Ensure that care plans include the appropriate goals and interventions for wound prevention and treatment.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, LLC for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*
