When you suspect a pressure ulcer is being missed or handled too slowly, time matters medically and legally. Start with actions that create a clean record:
- Request a wound assessment in writing (or ask staff to document that an assessment has been ordered).
- Ask for the resident’s skin risk score and the most recent skin check notes (not just general statements).
- Get copies of the wound care documentation: wound measurements, stage/grade, photos if available, and treatment orders.
- Write down a timeline while details are fresh—what you saw, when you saw it, and what staff told you.
If the facility says the injury is unavoidable, ask what prevention steps were in place and whether staff followed them. Your goal is to establish a factual timeline you can later share with counsel.


