Patients in a nursing home are expected to receive medical attention to address all of their medical needs. Infections can be a relatively common problem in nursing homes since they are communal spaces and many of the patients have compromised immune systems. While it is not uncommon for nursing home patients to get sick, the nursing home is expected to provide some level of medical intervention to try to help those patients. Anytime a patient does not receive treatment for an infection, this could be a sign of neglect within the nursing home.
If you or a loved one has an untreated infection in a nursing home, consult a San Francisco untreated infections lawyer to see if you have a case. Not being treated for an infection can lead to more serious conditions, and often requires costly medical interventions to treat. You may be able to recover compensation from this facility to help you with the cost of your medical treatments. Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to discuss your case with our team.
Most Common Untreated Infections
According to an issue of Aging Health, there are several types of infections that are common and have a higher likelihood of going untreated in nursing homes. The collects data on these infections to help find solutions. Some of the most common untreated infections in nursing homes are:
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): UTIs are common because of a lack of hygiene and living in communal spaces. They may also go undiagnosed for a long time, contributing to the lack of treatment.
- Pneumonia: Pneumonia is a highly contagious respiratory infection and travels through communal spaces quickly. The speed at which it can spread may make it hard to treat soon after infection. Untreated, pneumonia can be life-threatening.
- Diarrhea-related diseases: Diarrhea is a condition where patients go to the bathroom often and have loose or watery stools. It can become a serious problem since it causes dehydration if it continues and fluid intake is not increased. It can be caused by a wide number of diseases.
- Skin infections: Skin infections are caused by poor hygiene. With proper bathing, they can be avoided.
There are other untreated infections that are not covered on this list. Any infection can be a serious health risk if it is left untreated long enough. Nursing facilities that do not provide proper systems for addressing infections are mistreating patients and putting their lives at risk.
Understanding Your Rights
Under the care of a nursing facility, any patient must receive medical attention. This includes treatment for infections in a timely and effective manner. Untreated infections can lead to further health issues, and nursing facilities have a responsibility to prevent infections wherever possible. Refusing to provide such treatment is against facilities’ policies and is illegal in many areas. If you or a loved one were denied treatment for an infection, you have the right to sue that facility for compensation. Before beginning any proceedings, you should consult a lawyer about your case.
For a free legal consultation with a Untreated Infections Lawyer serving San Francisco, call (800) 794-0444
Financial Impacts of Untreated Infections
Untreated infections can lead to a variety of financial impacts on patients. One of the leading impacts is the cost of treatment. In many cases, the patient needs to be moved to another facility to receive the right level of care, which can be expensive. Seniors tend to require more medical services as a result of an untreated infection.
Over the long-term, there may be ongoing medical costs is the infection becomes more serious. For example, pneumonia becomes more difficult to treat as the infection continues. It can also cause lasting damage to the lungs, which will require ongoing care and treatments to correct.
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Prevalence of Untreated Infections
Infections in nursing homes are increasing since they are areas where the transmission can be high and treatments are falling behind. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes nursing home residents can be susceptible to “staph” infections like MRSA. As this becomes an increasingly severe problem, the chances of seniors experience infection-related problems continue to increase. This also puts facilities and caregivers at risk for lawsuits for failing to provide timely and effective infection treatments.
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Reasons to Hire a Lawyer
Getting an infection in a nursing facility is relatively common. However, getting an infection because of neglect is not as common and should not be tolerated. Hiring a lawyer is a way of addressing the problem.
A San Francisco untreated infections lawyer may be able to file lawsuits on your behalf, managing the entire process for you. This includes doing an investigation, which can help you identify the problem and find a facility that is better equipped to provide the service that you need. Your lawyer can also focus on getting you compensation for any costs that you have because of your mistreatment. Ultimately, a lawyer can help to hold a facility responsible for your care.
There are many states that do not regulate their nursing homes, which opens the door for abuse and neglect. Without government oversight, there is little chance of holding anyone accountable. A lawyer can help you do that by creating a case against that facility.
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Settlements and Trials
It is entirely possible that the lawsuit that you file will not make it to trial, because the majority of cases never make it to trial. This is because the facilities often offer settlements to victims. Although the payout from these settlements is nearly always lower than they would be if they went to trial, the payments are still substantial.
For large medical facilities, this helps protect them from public scrutiny of specific incidents. In turn, victims do not have to wait through the trial to receive their compensation. Before you accept any settlement agreement, have a lawyer review it first. This will ensure that any settlement agreement that you accept offers enough to cover your care costs over the short-term and the long-term.
Discuss Your Potential Case with Our Legal Team
If you or a loved one has been injured due to an untreated infection, consult a San Francisco untreated infections lawyer to see if you have legal options. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for a consultation with our legal team.
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