Quick answer: The most common infections in nursing homes are urinary tract infections, pneumonia and other respiratory infections, skin and wound infections, and gastrointestinal infections such as C. diff and norovirus. Many of them are preventable with good hygiene, catheter care, hydration and prompt treatment. When a facility misses the warning signs or skips basic infection control, a treatable infection can turn into sepsis, hospitalization or death, and that may be neglect.
Older adults in nursing homes are especially vulnerable. Many have weakened immune systems, chronic conditions, catheters or limited mobility, and they live close together with staff moving from room to room. The CDC has estimated that one to three million serious infections occur in U.S. nursing homes every year.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
UTIs are among the most frequently diagnosed infections in nursing homes. Residents with urinary catheters, incontinence or poor fluid intake are at the highest risk.
In older adults, a UTI often doesn’t look like a UTI. Instead of burning or pain, the first sign may be sudden confusion, agitation, falls or a sharp change in behavior. Staff who write that off as “just dementia” can miss an infection that’s spreading. Untreated UTIs are one of the leading causes of sepsis in elderly patients.
Pneumonia and respiratory infections
Pneumonia is a leading cause of hospitalization and death among nursing home residents. Influenza, COVID-19 and RSV also spread quickly in shared living spaces.
Residents who have trouble swallowing are at particular risk of aspiration pneumonia, which happens when food, liquid or saliva gets into the lungs. Proper positioning during and after meals, modified diets and supervision at mealtimes help prevent it. Like UTIs, pneumonia in older adults may show up without a fever, as weakness, confusion or a loss of appetite.
Skin and wound infections
Bed sores (pressure ulcers) that aren’t treated properly can become infected, and an infected wound can reach the bone or the bloodstream. Cellulitis, fungal infections and scabies also spread in nursing homes, especially when residents aren’t turned, bathed and checked regularly.
A pressure ulcer that becomes infected is often a sign of a larger problem, because most bed sores are preventable with repositioning and good skin care. Read more about nursing home bed sore injuries.
MRSA and other drug-resistant infections
MRSA is a staph infection that doesn’t respond to common antibiotics. It spreads through skin contact and contaminated surfaces, equipment and hands, and it can infect wounds, catheters, feeding tubes and the lungs. Consistent handwashing and cleaning are the main defenses.
Gastrointestinal infections: C. diff and norovirus
Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) causes severe diarrhea and colon inflammation and often follows a course of antibiotics. Norovirus causes vomiting and diarrhea and can sweep through an entire facility in days. For frail residents, both can lead to dangerous dehydration. Isolation precautions and thorough cleaning are essential once a case appears.
Sepsis: when an infection becomes life-threatening
Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection, and it can lead to organ failure and death. In nursing homes it usually starts with a UTI, pneumonia or an infected wound that wasn’t caught or treated in time. Warning signs include fever or an unusually low temperature, rapid heart rate or breathing, confusion, extreme weakness and low blood pressure. Sepsis is a medical emergency.
What are the warning signs of an infection in a nursing home resident?
Families are often the first to notice that something is off. Watch for:
- New or worsening confusion, agitation or drowsiness
- Fever, chills or an unusually low temperature
- Cough, shortness of breath or rapid breathing
- Foul-smelling or cloudy urine
- Redness, warmth, swelling or drainage around a wound, catheter or feeding tube
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite or signs of dehydration
- Sudden falls or a decline in mobility
If you see these signs, ask the nurse what’s being done and request that the doctor be notified. Write down what you saw and when.
When is a nursing home infection a sign of neglect?
Not every infection means the facility did something wrong. Older adults get sick even with excellent care. An infection may point to neglect when it results from things like:
- Staff not washing hands or using gloves and other protective equipment
- Poor catheter care or leaving a catheter in longer than needed
- Failing to reposition residents and care for wounds
- Not isolating residents with contagious infections
- Letting residents become dehydrated or malnourished
- Ignoring symptoms or delaying a call to the doctor
- Understaffing that leaves residents without basic care
Federal rules require every nursing home that takes Medicare or Medicaid to run an infection prevention and control program, and infection control is one of the most frequently cited deficiencies in nursing home inspections. You can look up a facility’s inspection record, including infection control citations, on our Oklahoma nursing home statistics page and county pages for Tulsa County and Oklahoma County.
What to do if your loved one got an infection in a nursing home
- Make sure they’re getting medical care, including a hospital transfer if needed.
- Ask for the facility’s account of when symptoms started and when the doctor was notified.
- Request copies of medical records, including nursing notes and medication records.
- Take photos of any wounds and keep notes of conversations with staff.
- Report concerns to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, which investigates nursing home complaints.
- Talk with a nursing home neglect lawyer about whether the infection was preventable.
In Oklahoma, most nursing home injury and wrongful death claims must be filed within two years, so it helps to act while records and memories are fresh.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common infection in nursing homes?
UTIs and respiratory infections such as pneumonia are consistently the most common infections among nursing home residents.
Can you sue a nursing home for an infection?
Yes, if the infection was caused or made worse by the facility’s failure to provide reasonable care, such as poor hygiene, ignored symptoms or delayed treatment. A lawyer can review the medical records to see whether the infection was preventable.
Can a UTI cause confusion in the elderly?
Yes. Sudden confusion, agitation or behavior changes are often the first and sometimes only sign of a UTI in an older adult.
What if my loved one died from sepsis in a nursing home?
If the infection behind the sepsis was missed or poorly treated, the family may have a wrongful death claim. These cases depend heavily on the medical timeline, so get the records as soon as you can.
Talk to an Oklahoma nursing home neglect lawyer
If your loved one developed a serious infection in a nursing home and you’re not sure it should have happened, the Law Offices of Jeff Martin can review the records with you. We handle nursing home abuse and neglect cases across Oklahoma. The review is free, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call 918-728-8888 or contact us online.
