Elder Law

CMS Puts Pressure on Nursing Homes to Prevent Bed Sores

By Levin & Perconti

CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has published new guidelines regarding pressure sores (decubitus ulcers). SNFs (Skilled Nursing Facilities), like nursing homes and long-term care facilities, are commonly cited for elder abuse and neglect. Often this nursing home abuse and neglect can result in the development of pressure ulcers on elderly patients. The new regulations specify that ?a resident who enters [a] facility without pressure sores does not develop pressure sores unless the individual?s clinical condition demonstrates that they were unavoidable.? With attentive care, pressure ulcers are usually preventable. Therefore, all nursing homes under the Medicare/Medicaid program will receive amplified attention from State Surveyors with the goal of zero tolerance for bed sores. This will put an increased burden on nursing homes and facilities to treat and prevent decubitus ulcers, which are often concurrent with elder abuse and neglect. For the full article, click here.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on January 13, 2009 (boomark / email).