If your loved one received a diagnosis of sepsis after an infection at the nursing home, this is a serious situation that could result in a long hospitalization or a fatality for your loved one.
If the nursing home staff did not care for your loved one properly, leading to an underlying infection that ended up in sepsis, you may be able to bring a lawsuit against the facility, looking for compensation for your loved one’s pain and suffering and medical bills. Should the case have ended up in a fatality, you also can sue for a wrongful death.
Count on a Los Angeles sepsis lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to present your loved one’s case in the best possible light, highlighting the facts that show nursing home staff behaved in a negligent or abusive manner. We understand how this condition forms, and we know how to help you receive the fairest possible settlement. Call us today.
Causes and Symptoms of Sepsis
When the human body has a serious infection, it responds in a manner that may end up in sepsis. With sepsis, the body suffers significant swelling and inflammation, which can lead to the formation of blood clots and which may limit blood flow, meaning vital organs will not receive the oxygen they need to function.
According to Cleveland Clinic, sepsis kills about 30% of the 1.5 million Americans who receive a sepsis diagnosis every year. This type of condition is especially deadly to elderly patients and nursing home residents, as those age 65 and over are more at risk for developing sepsis than younger adults.
If you have concerns that your loved one may be suffering from sepsis at the nursing home, you may want to be on the lookout for a few signs, including:
- Faster-than-normal heart rate
- Fever or significantly lower-than-normal body temperature
- Clammy skin
- Disorientation
- Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
- High blood pressure
Septic Shock
Should the sepsis condition worsen, the patient could develop septic shock. Once a patient develops this, according to Mayo Clinic, the chances of dying from the condition increase significantly in both younger and elderly patients.
When septic shock occurs, doctors will need to prescribe blood pressure medication to help the patient maintain a functioning blood pressure. Additionally, doctors will measure high levels of lactic acid in the blood, which indicates a lack of oxygenation.
Finding Help with Your Sepsis Case
Because sepsis is such a dangerous condition for any elderly person to develop, you may be more concerned with your loved one’s health and with helping in the recovery process than with filing a lawsuit.
A Los Angeles sepsis lawyer from our team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm will take care of the work involved in filing a lawsuit for you, including negotiating with the insurance company. We understand how trying this situation can be for your family, especially if you suspect the nursing home staff caused the injury. Contact us for a free consultation.
Why Sepsis Often Affects Nursing Home Residents
People older than 65 tend to be more susceptible to developing sepsis for a few different reasons, including:
- Thinner skin leads to a greater chance of open wounds
- Greater chance of developing bed sores
- Increased need for IV needles and catheters, which could lead to infection
- Weaker immune systems
- Greater chance of developing a respiratory infection, such as pneumonia
- Greater chance of having pre-existing medical conditions
Because of these issues, any infection that a nursing home resident develops must receive immediate attention. Staff members who fail to treat infections promptly could be found to be behaving in an abusive or neglectful manner.
For a free legal consultation with a Sepsis Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 794-0444
How a Nursing Home Can Protect Its Residents From Sepsis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), protecting elderly residents from the possibility of ending up with sepsis requires the nursing home staff to take steps to cut down on the chance of an initial infection forming. Some of the prevention measures staff members should perform include:
- Delivering medication: where the nursing home resident should receive prescribed antibiotics as soon as any infection occurs, reducing the chance of the infection becoming significantly worse.
- First aid: where staff members should always treat any cuts or sores immediately, disinfecting wounds thoroughly before covering them with clean bandages.
- Handwashing: where staff should perform proper handwashing techniques before treating a resident’s open wounds.
- Immunizations: where nursing home residents should remain up to date on vaccines, helping to prevent infections like pneumonia.
- Maintaining clean environment: where staff must ensure the resident has clean bed linens and clothing, reducing the chances of getting an infection.
- Maintaining proper hygiene: where staff must help the resident maintain proper hygiene to reduce the chance of an infection occurring.
- Moving bedridden patients: where staff at the nursing home must help bedridden residents move regularly to avoid the formation of pressure ulcers and bed sores that could become seriously infected.
If a staff member suspects sepsis, he or she must contact medical personnel immediately. Sepsis can become extremely serious very quickly, and the patient needs aggressive care as soon as possible to reduce the chances of death.
Los Angeles Sepsis Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
We Will Work Tirelessly on Behalf of Your Loved One
Residents of nursing homes are some of the most vulnerable people. Often, they may not be able to defend themselves from those who would seek to do them harm, either because they are having a difficult time understanding what is happening or because they may be afraid of abusive staff members.
After suffering an infection, your loved one at the nursing home may ask staff for help, but staff may ignore the requests until the infection becomes life-threatening. If something like this happened to your loved one, consider working with a Los Angeles sepsis lawyer.
At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we take pride in our ability to protect vulnerable senior citizens who become victims of abuse or neglect at a nursing home. We do not shy away from taking tough cases. Call us as soon as possible for a free review of your case.
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