A visit to a nursing home should feel reassuring, not alarming. When a bedsore appears on skin that looked clear just weeks earlier, families often wonder how the wound could have formed without anyone mentioning it. Pressure ulcers rarely develop without a reason, and in many cases, they point directly to a resident who was left in one position for far too long.
At Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford, our nursing home abuse attorneys help Pennsylvania families figure out what a bedsore actually reveals about the care a family member has been receiving, and what options exist when neglect appears to be the underlying cause.
What Bedsores Reveal About the Level of Care
A bedsore, also called a pressure ulcer or pressure injury, forms when sustained pressure cuts off blood flow to the skin, most often over bony areas like the hips, heels, tailbone, and shoulder blades. Residents who cannot reposition themselves on their own rely entirely on staff to turn them regularly, check their skin, and address nutrition and hydration issues that make skin more fragile. According to research published by Duke University School of Nursing, the CDC reported that about 1.3 million people were living in nursing homes in 2020, and one in 10 residents develops a pressure injury, a condition that can lead to serious infection and, in the worst cases, death.
Residents most at risk include those with limited mobility, incontinence, poor circulation, or diabetes. A well-staffed facility identifies these risk factors on admission and builds a care plan around them, including specialized mattresses, frequent repositioning schedules, and prompt attention to any early skin changes. When staffing runs short, these preventive steps are often the first tasks to fall through the cracks.
When a facility follows basic care protocols, bedsores are largely preventable. Their appearance, especially at an advanced stage, often signals that a resident missed repositioning schedules, went unchecked for long stretches, or did not receive adequate nutrition.
Common Warning Signs Families Should Not Ignore
Bedsores rarely appear in isolation. Families who know what to look for during visits can catch early warning signs before a wound worsens. Signs of possible neglect include:
- Discolored or broken skin over bony areas, especially the tailbone, heels, or hips
- A strong odor, drainage, or swelling around a wound site
- Unexplained weight loss, dehydration, or a resident who seems consistently left in the same position
Any of these signs, particularly when paired with vague or shifting explanations from staff, calls for closer attention to the facility’s care practices. Facilities are required to document skin assessments and any changes in a resident’s condition, and when those records are missing, incomplete, or inconsistent with what a family observed in person, it often points to a bigger problem than a clerical error.
Bedsores are classified in stages, ranging from mild redness that fades once pressure is removed to open wounds that reach muscle or bone. A wound that has progressed to Stage III or IV rarely appears overnight, which means staff had earlier opportunities to intervene and did not take them.
When Bedsores Point to Legal Responsibility in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania nursing homes have a legal duty to prevent and properly treat pressure ulcers. When understaffing, inadequate training, or plain indifference allows a wound to progress from an early stage to an open sore, the resulting injury can lead to sepsis, infections, or other complications that require hospitalization.
Pennsylvania regulations require nursing homes to maintain adequate staffing levels and to follow federal guidelines for skin care and wound prevention. When a facility cannot show it met these standards, that gap in the record often becomes central to a neglect claim.
In the most severe cases, an infected or untreated bedsore can contribute to a resident’s death. Families who have lost a family member under these circumstances may have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim against the facility responsible for their care.
Pennsylvania law allows residents and families to pursue a personal injury claim when neglect can be shown, and the state places no cap on economic damages in these cases. Reviewing past case results can help families get a sense of what pursuing a claim may involve.
Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford, P.C. Nursing Home Neglect Attorneys
Recognizing a bedsore is only the first step. Determining what caused it, and whether a facility failed to meet its obligations, takes a closer look at medical records, staffing patterns, and documented care plans. Our nursing home neglect attorney Matthew Wilkov has worked directly with Pennsylvania families navigating these situations and can help determine what happened and whether the facility met its obligations under Pennsylvania law.
If a family member developed a bedsore while under the care of a Pennsylvania nursing home, our team can review the details of the situation at no upfront cost. Reach out today to contact our office and discuss what may have happened.
Rubin, Glickman, Steinberg & Gifford P.C.
Pennsylvania Attorney's
October 6, 2026
