Soiled clothing, unwashed hair, and dirty fingernails are things you never want to see when you visit your loved one in their nursing home. Being dirty and disheveled is demoralizing and unhealthy. Your family member deserves better. They are entitled to proper physical care and a clean environment.
Signs of poor hygiene in your loved one point to substandard care. If the staff is not taking the time to bathe and groom residents, they could neglect their other needs, as well. In the worst-case scenario, poor hygiene could signal nursing home abuse.
If you have any concerns about your loved one’s care and treatment, contact a Dallas soiled clothes or other signs of poor hygiene lawyer. A lawyer with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you get to the bottom of the conditions at their nursing home.
If the nursing home injured your loved one or your family member is the victim of abuse and/and neglect, our team can help you with a claim or lawsuit against the facility. For a free consultation of your case, call (800) 842-6336.
Poor Hygiene Can Cause Deadly Illnesses and Infections
A lack of personal hygiene and an unclean nursing facility can lead to illnesses and infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diseases related to poor hygiene include:
- Head and body lice
- Scabies
- Pinworms
- Trachoma (pink eye)
- Chronic diarrhea
- Ringworm
Perhaps most concerning is the risk of infection posed by a lack of hygiene. Many infections, especially if left untreated, can cause potentially fatal complications. According to Aging Health, nursing home infections contribute to high mortality rates, hospitalizations, extended hospital stays, and expensive health care costs.
Aging Health found that pneumonia, urinary tract infections, diarrheal diseases, and soft tissue infections are among the most common nursing home infections.
- Pneumonia: A bacterial infection or respiratory infection often causes pneumonia. Older adults who have trouble swallowing (dysphagia) may be at risk for aspiration pneumonia caused by inhaling food, drink, or another substance. Some pneumonia cases can result in severe complications, including bacteria in the bloodstream, a lung abscess, or fluid in the lungs.
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs): Unsanitary catheter use and unchanged soiled undergarments or adult diapers can cause UTIs. UTIs can be dangerous for older adults, sometimes causing fever, chills, confusion, and pain.
- Diarrheal infections: Examples of diarrheal infections include gastroenteritis, norovirus, and Clostridium difficile (also known as C difficile). These conditions can spread amongst residents, especially in unclean conditions or when personal hygiene is lacking. A major concern with diarrheal infections is severe and even life-threatening dehydration.
- Soft-tissue infections: Pressure ulcers, often called bedsores, are a common soft tissue infection among nursing home residents. Bedsores can develop when bedridden residents do not move around enough or soiled clothing and diapers are not changed.
Some infections can bring on a deadly condition called sepsis. Sepsis is the body’s extreme reaction to an infection. It causes inflammation and can lead to complications, including a dramatic drop in blood pressure, called septic shock, and organ failure.
A lack of oral hygiene and dental health services also can result in serious health issues. You may be surprised to learn that poor oral health is connected with endocarditis (an infection around the inner lining of the heart), pneumonia, and cardiovascular disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Protecting Your Loved One from Neglect and Abuse
Poor hygiene can cause a host of health problems. There is no excuse for your loved one wearing soiled clothing or using dirty linens. There is never an acceptable reason for the staff failing to assist your loved one with bathing, toileting, cleaning their nails, or washing their hair.
If the staff is not providing help with basic personal care, it is neglectful. It could also mean neglect is occurring in other areas. Your loved one may not be receiving adequate health care, meals, or other services. Intentionally ignoring a resident’s needs or withholding care is abuse. It could mean your loved one is also being subjected to physical or sexual violence and/or emotional abuse.
If you have any reason to believe the nursing home staff is neglecting or abusing residents, report your suspicions to the authorities at the Texas Department of Aging and Disabilities (DADS).
If a DADS investigation finds the nursing home committed violations, the state may take action, including closing the home. If abuse, neglect, or exploitation is uncovered, the state may bring criminal charges. A Dallas soiled clothes or other signs of poor hygiene lawyer can help you with a civil case to recover monetary damages from the nursing home.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today to explore your legal options. We can review the details of the situation concerning your loved one and answer your questions during a free consultation.
For a free legal consultation with a Dallas Soiled Clothes or Other Signs of Poor Hygiene Lawyer serving Dallas, call (800) 794-0444
Justice for Your Family
If your loved one suffered or died because of injuries or complications that unhealthy conditions caused, you might be able to hold the nursing home liable for damages.
A Dallas soiled clothes or other signs of poor hygiene lawyer can help you seek awards for your family member’s medical care, fees paid to the nursing home, and relocation to another facility.
You may also seek compensation for your loved one’s physical and emotional suffering. You have two years under the statute of limitations, the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003, to recover personal injury or wrongful death damages in court.
An attorney can help you initiate an investigation into your loved one’s nursing home and file your case on time. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm knows that you have a lot on your plate, so we want to make the process of seeking financial awards as easy on you and your loved ones as possible.
We will not charge you any out-of-pocket fees for our services. We will fight as hard as we can to win you compensation. If we are successful, our fees come out of your settlement. If we cannot resolve your case, you owe us nothing.
To find out more, schedule a free consultation with us at (800) 842-6336.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
