As New Jersey and Philadelphia lawyers specializing in nursing home abuse and neglect cases, it is important to remind everyone of a common form of nursing home abuse and neglect, the occurrence of bed sores. To help prevent the painful and dangerous bed sores from forming, certain things are vital in a nursing home patient’s care. One of the most important factors is the proper positioning of the patient.
Repositioning Wheelchair Bound Patients
For those patients that are wheelchair bound, there are certain helpful recommendations for proper repositioning. An attempt should be made, by the patient, to move every 15 minutes. Nursing home staff should help assist with larger changes every hour.
To assist in this process, patients can utilize specialized wheelchairs. These pressure-release chairs tilt to redistribute pressure. This helps provide some assistance in repositioning, and thus give pressure relief to help prevent bed sores. Sometimes, appropriate cushions can be helpful. They are generally gel, water, or air filled. These cushions assist in alleviating pressure and ensuring proper positioning while in the wheelchair.
A wheelchair bound patient in a nursing home should have a set care plan to make sure that proper repositioning takes place. A nursing home physical therapist can advise the patient on proper cushion positioning, and can give lifting and upper body movement exercises to help assist those patients that are able to reposition themselves.
When a wheelchair bound patient isn’t properly and regularly repositioned, bed sores are an almost certain outcome. Bed sores are harder to treat than they are to prevent, so it is imperative that nursing home staff take this movement very seriously. Those that do not are truly showing an abusive and neglectful attitude to their patients.
Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your loved one is a resident in a nursing home and you fear that their well-being is in jeopardy due to abusive or negligent care, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, or (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia. Let the nursing home abuse attorneys at the Mininno Law Office answer any questions you may have regarding your legal rights and your next step.
Frequent changes in the patient’s positioning is supreme in the prevention of painful and potentially fatal bed sores or pressure ulcers. But repositioning offers no benefits if it’s not done properly. The nursing home caregivers must make sure that repositioning avoids stress on the skin. The nursing home staff must also make sure that vulnerable areas, such as knees, ankles, and hips are carefully placed. It is also important to regularly inspect the skin for the slightest irritation that can lead to a bed sore. 
Burlington Woods is a nursing home with 227 long term beds. It is also a for profit, corporately owned and run nursing home. According to the 
As attorneys with expertise in the area of 
The Hudson Manor Health Care Center had two routine inspections between December 2008 and November 2010. During those two inspections, 67 deficiencies were cited! The types of deficiencies include failure to prevent or properly treat bed sores or pressure ulcers, failures regarding catheters to prevent UTIs, and a pattern of failing to keep the nursing home at a comfortable and safe temperature level. 
Continuing our reports on average to low quality nursing homes in New Jersey, we have located a home in Union County with a well below average rating, according to the 
The Holiday Care Center located in Toms River, New Jersey. This nursing home was inspected routinely on 9 occasions and cited for 40 deficiencies during the period from December 2008 through November 2010. It was also necessary for the NJ Division of Health Facilities and Evaluation and Licensing to conduct 10 complaint inspections with 5 more deficiencies cited during this time period. Some of these citations were for failing to keep the rate of medication errors (wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong time) to less than 5%, for failing to have a program to keep infection from spreading, and failing to make sure that a residents nutritional needs are being met. These types and amount of deficiencies are those that lead to nursing home abuse. Patients’ families must remain vigilant when their loved one is in a for profit nursing home such as Holiday Care Center, to make sure that they are being cared for in an acceptable and effective manner.
This Gloucester County nursing home, named Gloucester Manor Health Care Center, located in Sewell, New Jersey is a for profit partnership owned nursing home. It participates in both Medicare and Medicaid and has 139 long term beds at its disposal. During three routine inspections between December 2008 and November 2010, the Gloucester Manor Health Care Center was cited for an outrageous 56 separate deficiencies. Among the numerous deficiencies, the Manor Center was cited for the improper treatment to prevent bed (pressure) sores or to help heal those bed sores properly. In fact, actual harm for a few patients was found in this category. It was also determined that they failed to staff enough nurses to care for every resident in a way that maximizes the resident’s well being. Actual harm for a few was noted in this category as well. 
As we continue our series highlighting the below average nursing homes in New Jersey, today we will discuss a facility in Camden County. 
It is important, as