When it comes to the prevention of decubitus uclers, it very much is a collective responsibility of all parties involved. As opposed to other medical complications that can be traced to the poor care or decision making of one person, situations where a person has developed decubitus ulcers during a nursing home admission are generally reflective of an entire facility poorly doing their job.

After all, when decubitus ulcers develop and progress over time, numerous staff members were (or should be) theoretically in a position to implement changes in the patients care-- or at the very least bring the condition to the attention of other staff.

Recognizing the importance of a team approach to the care and prevention of decubitus ulcer (similarly referred to as: pressure ulcer, pressure sore or bed sore), a recently filed bed sore lawsuit seeks damages from the nursing home itself, the management company and the staff physician.  An Illinois woman's family alleges the following omissions:

Virgil Calvert Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

• Failed to supervise patient
• Failed to provide necessary care and services for patient to maintain body weight and protein levels
• Failed to provide treatment for complications such as a urinary tract infection
• Failed to maintain proper medical records for the patient

SW Management Company

• Failed to properly manage the nursing home
• Failed to provide sufficient levels of sufficient care

Dr. Basga Bernard

• Failed to provide adequate medical treatment
• Failed to send patient to the hospital
• Failed to order proper diagnostic tests to diagnose the underlying medical problems

Particularly, when we are dealing with a situation involving general neglect at a nursing home, I find it particularly important to name all of the potentially responsible parties in order to fully protect my clients.  As this nursing home lawsuit progresses through the litigation process, it certainly will be interesting to see who exactly is to blame for the the death of this patient.

Read more about this pending bed sore lawsuit against an Illinois nursing home here.

Related:

Lawsuit alleges nursing home neglect contributed to patient’s decubitus ulcers

ManorCare Named In Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Patient Developes Pressure Sores During Nursing Home Admission

What are nursing homes required to do to prevent bed sores?