If your loved one is a resident at a nursing home, you expect the nurses and supervisors to care for them in a professional manner. However, this does not always occur. When your loved one does not receive the proper medical care, they could end up with a condition called bedsores.
These are injuries to the skin when the skin has prolonged pressure from sitting or lying down for too long. Nurses and caregivers at the nursing home must be on the lookout for this issue, as bedsores can appear suddenly, and they can lead to infections and other lingering health problems.
If improper care led to the formation of bedsores on your loved one’s skin, you might have the right to seek damages for pain and suffering and required medical care. Consider contacting the offices of an Austin bedsores lawyer, such as Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, for help with your case. Call us at (800) 842-6336 for a free consultation as soon as possible.
Frequency of Problems with Bedsores
According to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 10 nursing home residents may develop bedsores, also called pressure ulcers annually. This accounts for more than 150,000 people.
Why Bedsores Occur
Having weight loss associated with the formation of bedsores is not a significant surprise. According to Mayo Clinic, bedsores most frequently occur in areas of the body where there is very little fat or muscle underneath the skin. Some of the areas of the body where you can find bedsores most frequently include:
● Shoulder blades
● Hips
● Tailbone
● Buttocks
● Ankles
● Heels
● Backs of arms
● Backs of legs
People who cannot move well on their own or end up in a prone or sitting position for long periods without moving may end up with bedsores. It is important for those providing care at the nursing home to help residents who do not move well on their own to change positions regularly.
Treating Bedsores
Should your loved one have to suffer from bedsores for an extended period, it can lead to a variety of health problems, including:
● Infections: where the sores may become infected, and the infection could travel to bones and ligaments, causing a significant reduction in mobility.
● Sepsis: where, if the infection goes untreated for too long, it could lead to an overreaction by the body that results in a life-threatening condition.
● Squamous cell cancer: where certain types of bedsores that go untreated could lead to the development of cancer.
If your loved one’s bedsores led to an even more serious health condition for him or her, and if you can show that the nursing home staff should have known about the bedsores and done more to help with them, you have the right to seek damages.
As an Austin bedsores lawyer, the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm wants to help you receive a fair settlement. For a free case review, call us today.
Signs of Bedsores
Because bedsores can form relatively quickly, sometimes within several hours after the pressure initially occurs on the skin, it is important for nursing home caregivers to anticipate the possibility of bedsores and do everything possible to prevent them.
A resident who does not move well on his or her own is far more susceptible to bedsores than someone who is mobile. Some of the earliest signs of an area where a bedsore could be forming include:
● Changes in skin color, especially redness or purpleness
● Swelling in the area
● Spots on the skin that feel warm
● Tenderness or pain on certain spots
Eventually, if caregivers do not relieve the pressure in these areas showing the early signs of pressure sores, the skin could break open.
For a free legal consultation with a Bedsores Lawyer serving Austin, call (800) 842-6336
Severity Levels of Bedsores
According to Johns Hopkins, when someone develops bedsores, doctors will assign one of four stages of severity to the wound. The first stage is the least serious to the victim’s health, while the fourth stage is the most significant, including:
● Stage one: the initial appearance of bedsores may be a red or purple color on the skin that feels warm to the touch and that may itch or be painful.
● Stage two: the area of the skin with the bedsore may open or look like an abrasion or blister, and it now has become extremely painful.
● Stage three: the bedsore now looks like a significant wound that has damage that extends downward into the tissue, well beyond the thin layer of skin.
● Stage four: the wound is now extremely large with significant visible damage to the skin and surrounding tissues, and where the pain is intense.
If caught early, bedsores may alleviate by simply removing the pressure on the area of the skin with the discoloration. However, once the skin has a noticeable wound, it will need immediate care, including a wound dressing, infection prevention, and potentially invasive care, such as negative wound pressure therapy.
Austin Bedsores Lawyer Near Me (800) 842-6336
We Appreciate the Chance to Take on Difficult Cases
Proving that neglect happened to your loved one at the nursing home can be a bit of a challenge. Personnel at the facility may attempt to argue that they did everything possible to care for your loved one. Still, the resident refused to accept their help, which resulted in the injury.
An Austin bedsores lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can study the facts in the case to attempt to prove your side of the story. We will use interviews with witnesses, medical records for your loved one, and other facts from the incident that show exactly what happened and why it rises to the level of neglect.
We do not shy away from taking on tough cases. Your loved one did not do anything wrong, and you should not have to bear the costs of treatment for your loved one’s bedsores. Contact us today at (800) 842-6336 for a free case review.
Call or text (800) 842-6336 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
