The most important early step is protecting the resident’s health—but you can also preserve legal leverage at the same time.
Start a dated folder (paper or digital) with:
- The resident’s admission paperwork and baseline medical notes
- Copies of any skin/wound assessment sheets you’re given
- Wound care instructions, dressing change logs, and any progress updates
- Photos only if they’re already in the record and you’re allowed to obtain them (don’t risk spoliation or policy violations)
- A timeline of when you first noticed changes—what day, what area of the body, and what the facility said
In Michigan, records disputes are common. The earlier you gather what you can, the easier it is for counsel to compare what the facility documented against the resident’s actual course.


