Bruises occur when physical trauma impacts the body, resulting in discoloration of the skin. Discoloration happens as small blood vessels rupture underneath the skin, according to Mayo Clinic. Bruising can come from slight injuries or serious slip and falls that can result in bone fractures.
Mayo Clinic reports that senior citizens are especially susceptible to bruising because their bodies are unable to react to physical trauma as effectively as a young person would. You should pay close attention to your loved ones if they’re living in a nursing home and have regular bruises. This could be a sign of physical abuse or negligence that could be avoided. If you or a loved one has experienced bruises while living in a nursing home, you may be entitled to compensation.
A Lyons bruises lawyer with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm might be able to help with your case. Call a member of our team today to start your free case consultation.
Bruises Can Result from Physical Abuse
Regardless of whether or not an elder is in the care of a nursing home, senior citizens can easily bruise. For instance, seniors can deal with sudden bruising due to their medications or from diseases they might be battling. Seniors also have thinning skin, which makes them prone to frequent bruising.
If your loved one is located in a nursing home and frequently has bruises, they could be facing physical abuse or neglect, which can worsen or cause their bruising. Family members who start to notice these bruises should speak with their loved one on how they got them. If your loved one is unable to tell you, that should raise red flags against the nursing home.
Loved ones should be on the lookout for these frequent bruises, and also keep a close eye on bruises that happen in the same spots of their body. Your loved one may have experienced bruising before they arrived at a nursing home, but if you start to notice larger bruises, this could be another sign of physical abuse. Bruises to the face or neck could be a reflection of struggle and direct harm to your loved one.
Elder Abuse in Nursing Homes
If your loved one is experiencing a pattern of frequent bruising, they may be facing physical abuse from a nursing home. Bruising in nursing homes isn’t only limited to direct abuse from a caregiver or from a staff member. Faulty bed rails could lead to bruises on your loved one’s ankles, hips, or wrists.
If you believe your loved one’s bruising resulted from the nursing home staff’s abuse or negligence, you may be able to seek compensation.
Regardless of the level of bruising severity, a nursing home lawyer can help bring you and your family justice for the negligence of an assisted living facility. Bruising can indicate:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Neglect
Aside from bruises, Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can also help your loved ones who face bedsores, bone fractures and breaks, malnutrition, emotional abuse, and other types of abuse while they are in a nursing home. The Department of Justice puts out guidelines for nursing homes, and each home should be held accountable for violating them. Call us today to get started with your elder abuse case.
For a free legal consultation with a Bruises Lawyer serving Lyons, call (800) 794-0444
How to Prevent and Treat Bruises
The law requires nursing homes to actively keep a safe and hazard-free assisted living facility. When they don’t take these precautions, accidents can happen.
Prevention could include clearing hallways to avoid falls, such as the removal of obstacles so seniors can comfortably move around. Caregivers should also help prevent bruises by helping seniors to sit or stand up.
Seniors should also be using a cane or wheelchair if their mobility is unsafe enough to walk freely. While a nursing home can’t provide this for seniors, their personal doctor can help them receive a cane or wheelchair. However, nursing homes should be responsible for the installation of appropriate handrails and other safety precautions inside a resident’s bedroom.
When treating a bruise, the nursing home staff should have seniors avoid any harsh activity that will prolong the healing process. Because bruises are from ruptured blood cells, medical treatment isn’t required. Instead, time and rest can help treat a bruise.
Nurses should provide seniors with an ice bag or something similar to compress the wound and to contract the damaged blood cells. This will also help reduce swelling and inflammation.
Bruises on the body may start out with a red mark on the skin due to the blood under your skin. Next, you may discover the area turns purple or black when red blood cells start to break down. As the bruise starts to fully heal, the area of your skin may appear yellow or even greenish and into a light brown color.
If you notice your loved one has bruises that have not gone away, and suspect the nursing home staff is mistreating them, you may be able to hold them accountable for their neglect.
Lyons Bruises Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Seeking Legal Help with a Lyons Bruises Lawyer
If your loved one has bruises that have not gone away while in the care of a nursing home, you might be considering taking legal action against the facility. At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we believe in seeking justice for seniors who are personally affected by physical abuse or by negligence at a nursing home. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today to start a free case consultation. A Lyons bruises lawyer might be able to help you get the compensation you are entitled to.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
