I am in a rage right now. The rehab facility my mom was sent to, to regain her strength after a fall has been a nightmare. I feel like they are slowly killing her. She has new bruises every week that they can't explain, and today, she complained about her foot hurting. When my sister took her sock off, there was a huge heel sore oozing yellow. She immediately asked the nurse about it, and she said, "I know about it. The wound care said let it breathe!" So don't I have a right to be told first of all, and secondly, how is wearing a tight sock that is stuck to the wound, letting it breathe? Third, she is supposed to move a memory care this week that I just put down $9000 for the first month. Are they going to be able to take her in with a pressure sore like that?
When my Mom was bedbound, PT came to the house. I noticed both heels were starting to get wounds - couldn't figure it out. Then, I saw PT was having her lay in bed rubbing her feet back and forth over and over. I had that stopped, a Nurse came out and treated her feet and they put special soft boots on her to heal. Once she stopped that stupid exercise, the issue never returned.
I went to PT myself. Earlier this month my kneecap dislocated during therapy, and I'll never go again. Am worse off than before.
It is possible your Mom is having similar issues. I hope she is okay.
Best of luck to you and her in this situation.
That is the starters and sorry that this isn't answering your question.
Now to start with answers:
#l. Yes, they should have told you. In an elder this is extremely dangerous. As to bruising, I guarantee you, being an almost 83-y/o retired RN that as elders, "Bruising-R-Us". Whisper to us, and it caused a bruise. But circulation in one who bruises this easily is crucial, and rehabs aren't nursing homes. They are better staffed with more qualified personnel and paid for it.
#2. Your mother should be seeing a wound care specialist. Is one called in?
#3. Yes, likely a good MC can accept mom but not without wound care followup. They vary, so you need to take photos and discuss this with MC admins.
I am so sorry. This is neglectful care. I often advocate for facilities being a retired RN and knowing some of the problems. But this isn't good care, and should not have happened; and given it DID happen, they were obligated to notify the POA, and to follow up with great care. This can lead to sepsis and death.
My daughter is now an RN and her specialty is Woundcare. I do not think she would have said "let it breath". This wound should have been medicaided and bandaged and looked at everyday. Its now infected and this is serious and rehab must do something about it. This could become septic. You need to call the Ombudman, the number should be posted somewhere in the facility, if not, the desk nurse should have it. You need to be assertive. IMO that woundcare nurse is useless. You need to talk to the Director of Nursing and tell her you will be calling the ombudsman. This wound should have not have gone this far. I would even think an experienced aide would have noted it was infected and brought it to a nurses attention. Make a stink, this could have killed Mom if it became septic. They may not be able release her with it like this. If they try, call Medicare.
You will have to ask the Nurse at the Memory care how she would handle this. You maybe able to have Moms doctor order in home care with a woundcare nurse coming in. Which is what I would do. I would not trust the rehabs woundcare nurse.
When someone is admitted to a facility, the admitting nurse checks them from top to bottom. They record any cuts bruises and pressure points, which are elbows, lower back and heels. Any redness means the skin could break down and that gets recorded. It also means the floor nurses need to provide an air mattress and keep check on the pressure points.
Good luck to you.