Nursing home residents, by virtue of their advanced age as well as health complications, may need to stay in bed longer than is usual for the average person. As a result, they are more likely to suffer from contact sores due to lack of movement, also known as bedsores or pressure sores. If left untreated, these sores may fester, turn septic, and lead to limb amputations or even death. As the country’s premier nursing home abuse lawyers, we would like to help safeguard the rights and well-being of your loved ones who may be in one of many nursing homes by making it possible for you to hold these establishments accountable for their negligence leading to these health complications.
Are you looking for information regarding pressure sore compensation amounts? Whether you’d like to know what your loved one can receive after having suffered nursing home abuse, we’re here to help. Call us NOW at 1 (773) 825-3547 for more information on how we can put our more than 70 years of compensation to work for you. The call is free, and you’re not obligated to have us take on your nursing home lawsuit if you aren’t satisfied with our answers.
How Pressure Sores Occur
Bedsores or pressure sores usually develop in areas of the body that experience prolonged amounts of unrelieved pressure. This causes blood and fluid to pool in these areas, impinging the flow of oxygen, nutrients and even nerve impulses. Bedsores usually form in bony areas such as the heels, buttocks area, head and back. They are usually compounded by dehydration, poor hygiene as well as poor nutrition, and can escalate very fast, in weeks, into a medical emergency.
Bed Sores are Symptomatic of Nursing Home Negligence
Typically, a nursing home whose attendants do what they are expected to do goes around to check on any of the immobile residents and moves them while they are in bed in order to relieve pressure as well as encourage circulation. In addition, nursing homes are required to check and see that patients are not only well hydrated, but are also provided with the nutrition they need and are set up in rooms with beds that allow for incline and the maneuverability of the patient in order to prevent pressure sores from starting. Lastly, specialized mattresses also prevent the formation of bedsores by making it impossible for the impingement of blood flow, and these are routinely provided to those who may be at risk of having to stay in bed for extended periods of time.
Nursing Home Malpractice – A Countrywide Epidemic
Out of the over 1,000,000 individuals who develop bedsores every year in hospitals and nursing homes across the country, 60,000 will die. These deaths are not only preventable, but they highlight the brazen negligence that is found in our nursing homes where residents are just seen as a number, effectively dehumanizing them. Nursing home abuse often goes unchecked, giving nursing homes carte blanche to continue in their reign of negligence. If your loved one developed a pressure sore at a nursing home, please know that these types of health complications are not to be expected nor are they benign. It is important to see a nursing home malpractice lawyer in order to file a claim to help your loved one get the justice and compensation they duly deserve.
Lawyers for Nursing Home Lawsuits
Need to talk to someone regarding nursing home malpractice? Call us at 1 (773) 825-3547 for your FREE consultation. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you.