Nursing Home Skin Care Regulations

Federal regulations guide the care given to nursing home residents.nursing- helping hands image by Wingnut Designs from Fotolia.com

Nursing homes provide care to elderly and seriously ill people who cannot care for themselves. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations at Title 42, especially in section 483.25, details specific quality of care requirements for those providing care to nursing home residents. Skin care is specifically addressed in the federal law. States can apply their own regulations to expand on federal requirements, but they cannot allow less care than federal law requires.

Loss of Abilities

Not everyone who lives in a nursing home is totally dependent on the staff for everyday activities such as bathing, eating and dressing. Many can manage these activities alone or with some assistance. Federal quality of care regulations say caregivers in nursing homes are to help patients retain as many abilities as they can, preventing deterioration as long as possible. If your friend or family member is able to keep his skin healthy and clean by bathing himself, it is the humane obligation of the staff to help him keep that ability as long as possible, according to the Nursing Home Alert website. The ability to bathe himself not only keeps his skin clean, it also helps him retain his dignity and muscle functions. Having someone else bathe him encourages more rapid loss of those abilities.

Prevention of pressure sores, also called bed sores or skin ulcers, is important for a patient who is unable to move and change positions on her own. Bed sores happen when a person is unable to move, which cuts off circulation to the area under pressure. A patient who cannot move on her own must be carefully turned or adjusted every two hours--more often if she experiences discomfort, according to Citizens for Better Care. Additionally, caregivers use special pads, mattresses and medication to prevent or help heal bed sores. Bed sores are painful and can lead to serious infection. Federal quality of care regulations say prevention is vitally important, and quick intervention is necessary to keep existing sores from worsening.

Regular bathing is key to healthy skin, especially in elderly patients whose skin is more delicate. If a patient is able to bathe or shower alone or with assistance, he must be given the opportunity at least once a week, according to Nursing Home Ombudsman Agency of the Bluegrass. In addition to baths or showers, he must receive a daily bath in bed, also called a sponge bath. If the patient is unable to perform a regular grooming and hygiene routine, those services must be provided to him, according to the federal quality of care regulations.

Residents of nursing homes all not only have the right to the necessary assistance with regard to bathing and caring for skin, but they also have the right to receive the personal hygiene supplies needed. Soap, shampoo, moisturizing lotion, shaving cream and razors are among the many hygiene items to which nursing home residents must have access, as enumerated in Title 42, section 483.10, which addresses patient rights. However, the code also says nursing homes have the right to charge residents for those supplies and must provide a detailed account of which items are being charged and how much they cost.