Nursing homes have to contend with the fragile health and weak immune systems of their residents. Therefore, something as serious as aspiration pneumonia has the potential to cause multiple deaths and must be treated in a timely manner, or be prevented due to its virulence in the elderly. Aspiration pneumonia is a type of infection commonly seen in nursing homes across the country, and it is caused by pieces of food going down the wrong tracheal pipe, ending up in an individual’s lungs and causing infection. Aspiration pneumonia should typically be a non-event if the proper safety protocol is followed, making it eligible for compensation under nursing home negligence laws.
Did your loved one suffer aspiration pneumonia after being left unattended while eating? If you believe that the nursing home’s negligence was a direct cause for your loved one’s aspiration pneumonia, we encourage you to talk to us. Please contact us at (773) 825-3651 NOW to learn more about your legal options for compensation. McCready Law is a top personal injury law firm dealing with nursing home negligence and abuse cases, and we’re proud to having been able to serve communities across the country for over 75 years in terms of experience. If you’d like to look into filing an aspiration pneumonia lawsuit, please give us a call at (773) 825-3651 TODAY for your 100% FREE and no-commitment consultation into all things nursing home negligence lawsuits.
How Does Aspiration Pneumonia Happen?
Aspiration pneumonia happens when an individual is unable to cough up particulate that may have gotten into the lungs on account of failing health due to their elderly state. It can be caused by food particles, vomit or liquid and can be due to the complications arising out of dementia, Alzheimer’s, or a motor neuron disease. The elderly have a weakened immune system due to their advanced age, so their bodies aren’t adequately able to fight off infections caused by foreign matter lodged in the lungs, thereby causing a massive infection such as pneumonia.
Here are some of the main causes of aspiration in nursing homes:
- Improper feeding through tubes or ventilators
- Distracted or inattentive nursing home personnel who don’t identify aspiration in a timely manner
- Poor oral hygiene causing residents to not fully chew their food
- Strokes or aneurysms which can affect muscles of the throat
- A weakened immune system on account of failing health
- Having to place a resident under anesthesia which causes the throat muscles to not work
Here are some signs that may point to aspiration pneumonia
- Constant and unrelenting coughing
- Delirium
- Chest pain
- Speaking with a hoarse voice
- Unexplained and rapid weight loss
- Bad breath
- Skin has a blue tinge to it (lack of sufficient oxygen)
Lawyers for Aspiration Pneumonia Lawsuits – Call Us Today!
All nursing homes are held to a certain standard called duty of care which they must provide to all their residents. Failure to provide this, leading to aspiration pneumonia, can make the establishment liable for injuries, and become legally compelled to pay damages to the injured nursing home resident. If you’d like to talk to someone regarding aspiration pneumonia lawsuit, we’re here to help: please call us NOW at (773) 825-3651 to learn more about your legal options for compensation. The call, as usual, is absolutely FREE. Thanks, and we look forward to helping you.