Pressure ulcers remain a quiet but persistent threat in nursing homes, with 24.3% of residents in the PREVENT study developing a pressure ulcer at any stage during observation. At the same time, CMS MDS-based reporting found only 3.4% documented among long-stay residents using a 2019 baseline, creating a striking mismatch that raises an immediate question about measurement, timing, and care opportunities. This post connects the full range of prevalence and incidence findings, staffing and prevention interventions, and the real cost and outcomes behind them, so you can see what is happening beyond any single dataset.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, CMS reported pressure-ulcer quality measures using MDS data across the nursing home population (nationwide measurement)
- 3.4% of long-stay nursing home residents had pressure ulcers documented on MDS (2019 baseline)
- 24.3% of nursing home residents in the PREVENT study had pressure ulcers at any stage during observation
- Approximately 2.1 million people live in nursing homes in the U.S. each year (2018 estimate), creating a large at-risk population for pressure ulcers
- 10% of nursing home residents have severe mobility limitations, a major risk factor for pressure ulcers
- 1 in 3 nursing home residents have moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment, which is associated with increased pressure-ulcer risk
- In one quasi-experimental study, implementation of scheduled repositioning reduced new pressure ulcers by 23%
- A randomized trial of a pressure-ulcer prevention protocol reported a 40% relative reduction in incidence
- A systematic review of pressure-ulcer prevention bundles found improvements in incidence by 30% on average across included studies
- Hospital costs per stage of pressure ulcers can exceed $20,000 for severe ulcers in published economic analyses
- Nursing home pressure ulcer treatment costs can represent a large share of wound-care expenditures; one cost analysis reports wound-care costs of hundreds to thousands per episode
- Pressure ulcers are associated with increased length of stay; a study reported an additional 5.4 days attributable to pressure injuries
- In 2022, CMS publicly reported pressure-ulcer quality measure data for nursing homes via Care Compare (MDS-based measures)
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services included pressure ulcers in federal long-term care quality priorities tied to patient safety
- AHRQ’s Nursing Home Toolkit reports that pressure ulcer prevention is a key patient-safety component in long-term care practice
About one in four to a third of nursing home residents develop pressure ulcers, highlighting urgent prevention needs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence Rates8 stats
01
In 2022, CMS reported pressure-ulcer quality measures using MDS data across the nursing home population (nationwide measurement)
02
3.4% of long-stay nursing home residents had pressure ulcers documented on MDS (2019 baseline)
03
24.3% of nursing home residents in the PREVENT study had pressure ulcers at any stage during observation
04
23.0% of nursing home residents in a cross-sectional study had at least one pressure ulcer at baseline
05
15% average prevalence of pressure ulcers reported across nursing homes in a systematic review (range 3%–32%)
06
14% median prevalence of pressure ulcers across nursing homes in an international systematic review
07
Pressure ulcers are reported as present on admission in 0.6%–2.7% of nursing home residents in published studies
08
The incidence of pressure ulcers in nursing home settings ranges from 2.6 to 7.0 per 100 residents over typical observation periods reported in the literature
Interpretation
Prevalence Rates Interpretation
Across prevalence measures in nursing homes, pressure ulcers affect about 14% to 15% of residents on average, which is far higher than the 3.4% documented in the 2019 long stay baseline and suggests they remain a persistent quality challenge rather than a rare event.
02 · Category
Risk Factors11 stats
01
Approximately 2.1 million people live in nursing homes in the U.S. each year (2018 estimate), creating a large at-risk population for pressure ulcers
02
10% of nursing home residents have severe mobility limitations, a major risk factor for pressure ulcers
03
1 in 3 nursing home residents have moderate-to-severe cognitive impairment, which is associated with increased pressure-ulcer risk
04
Malnutrition affects about 30%–40% of nursing home residents in observational studies, increasing pressure-ulcer risk
05
Dehydration prevalence in nursing homes is commonly reported around 20% in studies, associated with skin breakdown risk
06
In a cohort study, immobility (not being able to reposition) increased pressure ulcer development risk by about 3-fold
07
In a meta-analysis, impaired perfusion/vascular disease was associated with an increased risk of pressure ulcers (pooled effect reported)
08
Higher Braden Scale scores (poorer skin-protection risk) are strongly associated with pressure ulcer occurrence; lower scores show higher prevalence in studies
09
Urinary and fecal incontinence prevalence in nursing homes is reported around 30%–60% across studies, increasing moisture-related skin damage
10
Incontinence-associated skin damage is reported in about 20%–30% of nursing home residents in some studies, overlapping with pressure-ulcer risk
11
Higher facility nursing staff hours per resident day (HPRD) are associated with lower pressure-ulcer prevalence; studies report measurable differences across staffing levels
Interpretation
Risk Factors Interpretation
With about 2.1 million people living in U.S. nursing homes each year, the risk factor pattern shows that around 10% have severe mobility limits and roughly 30% to 40% experience malnutrition, while incontinence affects 30% to 60%, meaning common clinical vulnerabilities align strongly with higher pressure ulcer risk across this at-risk population.
03 · Category
Prevention Outcomes11 stats
01
In one quasi-experimental study, implementation of scheduled repositioning reduced new pressure ulcers by 23%
02
A randomized trial of a pressure-ulcer prevention protocol reported a 40% relative reduction in incidence
03
A systematic review of pressure-ulcer prevention bundles found improvements in incidence by 30% on average across included studies
04
Standardized skin-care and risk assessment programs have been associated with about a 25% reduction in pressure ulcer prevalence in nursing homes
05
Education interventions for nursing staff have shown about a 10%–20% reduction in pressure ulcer rates in evaluated settings
06
Therapeutic support surfaces can reduce pressure ulcer incidence; pooled results in a review report meaningful risk reduction compared with standard foam mattresses
07
Computerized decision support for risk assessment reduced pressure ulcer incidence by 16% in a controlled study
08
Audit and feedback programs in nursing homes have been associated with pressure ulcer incidence reductions in the range of 10%–30% in included evaluations
09
Early mobilization programs reduced pressure ulcer development by 19% in a trial
10
Multicomponent prevention interventions reduced pressure ulcer prevalence by about 26% in a meta-analysis
11
A pressure injury prevention bundle in nursing homes achieved a 27% reduction in facility-level pressure ulcer quality measure rates
Interpretation
Prevention Outcomes Interpretation
Across prevention outcomes in nursing homes, multicomponent approaches and structured protocols consistently show sizable declines in pressure ulcers, with reported reductions ranging from about 10% up to 40% and a standout average improvement of roughly 30% from prevention bundles.
More related reading
04 · Category
Economic Impact8 stats
01
Hospital costs per stage of pressure ulcers can exceed $20,000for severe ulcers in published economic analyses
02
Nursing home pressure ulcer treatment costs can represent a large share of wound-care expenditures; one cost analysis reports wound-care costs of hundreds to thousands per episode
03
Pressure ulcers are associated with increased length of stay; a study reported an additional 5.4 days attributable to pressure injuries
04
A review reported that pressure ulcers increase healthcare utilization, including additional dressing and clinician visits, compared with residents without ulcers
05
Severe pressure ulcers (higher stage) cost more: an analysis reported per-case costs rising with stage severity, exceeding $10,000for the most severe group
06
Pressure injuries in long-term care have been estimated to consume a significant share of wound-care budgets; one estimate allocates 8%–12% of total facility wound-care spending to pressure ulcers
07
A U.S. analysis found that healthcare spending for pressure ulcers is disproportionately higher for severe cases, with a several-fold increase versus mild cases
08
Pressure ulcers contribute to avoidable costs due to complications; one national analysis estimated preventable cost burdens in the billions annually
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
From an economic impact standpoint, pressure ulcers in nursing homes drive rising costs with severity, including severe cases costing over $20,000 and estimates that pressure ulcers consume about 8% to 12% of a facility’s wound-care budget, while also extending stays by 5.4 days and adding preventable billions in annual healthcare burdens.
05 · Category
Policy & Quality5 stats
01
In 2022, CMS publicly reported pressure-ulcer quality measure data for nursing homes via Care Compare (MDS-based measures)
02
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services included pressure ulcers in federal long-term care quality priorities tied to patient safety
03
AHRQ’s Nursing Home Toolkit reports that pressure ulcer prevention is a key patient-safety component in long-term care practice
04
The National Quality Forum endorses pressure injury measures for nursing homes (quality measure endorsement details published by NQF)
05
In 2023, CMS continued public reporting of nursing home quality measures including pressure ulcers via its data portal
Interpretation
Policy & Quality Interpretation
In the Policy and Quality arena, CMS’s continued public reporting in both 2022 and 2023 highlights pressure ulcers as an ongoing quality priority, reinforced by federal patient safety efforts and broader endorsement of pressure injury measures.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Pressure Ulcers In Nursing Homes Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pressure-ulcers-in-nursing-homes-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Pressure Ulcers In Nursing Homes Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pressure-ulcers-in-nursing-homes-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Pressure Ulcers In Nursing Homes Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pressure-ulcers-in-nursing-homes-statistics.
Sources & references
43 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+33 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)