Anyone can get sepsis—an infection that enters your bloodstream—but people over 65 years old with chronic conditions like diabetes, lung disease, and kidney disease live at a higher risk for severe consequences, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People who do not die from sepsis may require long-term rehabilitation or care afterward. With proper care, people can avoid sepsis, though. No one should suffer from sepsis while under 24/7 supervision in a nursing home.
For older people, a sepsis diagnosis can threaten their lives. The Journal of Critical Care reported that people older than 65 were “five-fold more likely to have infections classified as severe sepsis than younger adults.” Additionally, the report said, “nursing home residents were more likely to have a severe sepsis diagnosis compared to non-nursing home residents.” If your loved one recently developed sepsis or died as a result of it, you have a right to seek legal advice. Our lawyers may help. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for your free case evaluation with a Stickney sepsis lawyer.
Why Elders Experience Neglect in Nursing Homes
Families turn the responsibilities of elderly loved ones over to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities when they can no longer care for them at home. According to a study by Health Services Insights, understaffing and high turnover of caregivers cause many cases of neglect.
When nursing homes overwork their staff, the impacts on nursing home residents can prove devastating. Sometimes, this results in unintentional neglect of nursing home residents. And even unintentional neglect breaks civil law in Illinois.
When nursing homes run low on staff, caregivers can easily forget about the nuances of care for each patient. Nurses and aids struggle to maintain daily routine tasks, due to the sheer number of patients on their rosters. Some types of necessary tasks that may fall off the radar of an overwhelmed nursing home employee and lead to severe sepsis infection include:
- Lack of care for chronic conditions: If your loved one has a chronic health condition, especially one that lends itself to a weakened immune system, they live at a higher risk for sepsis than typical nursing home residents.
- Bad hygiene practices: When an overwhelmed nursing home staff member fails in maintaining appropriate hygiene for a patient, especially one with open wounds, the resident’s risk of sepsis increases exponentially.
- Ignoring symptoms of a possible infection: If a caregiver fails to closely monitor a patient, your loved one may exhibit symptoms of infection that may go completely unnoticed. Symptoms like a high heart rate, shivering, confusion, shortness of breath, extreme pain, or fever can indicate a severe case of sepsis.
- Over-prescription of antibiotics: If your loved one frequently experiences infections, and nursing home staff addresses it with antibiotics rather than seeking the cause of infection, they may develop sepsis quickly and fatally.
For a free legal consultation with a Sepsis Lawyer serving Stickney, call (800) 842-6336
This does not represent an exhaustive list of reasons overworked nursing home staff abuse or neglect could lead to sepsis. You can review your loved one’s health records with a lawyer so you can review all potentially liable parties and hold them accountable for their neglect that led to your loved one’s sepsis. Our lawyers may help with your case. Call us.
Stickney Sepsis Lawyer Near Me (800) 842-6336
Building a Legal Case for Residents With SepsisYour legal options for sepsis cases will vary, so considering all details and discussing them with a Stickney Sepsis lawyer may help you build a case against the nursing home administration and caregiver. If possible, bring all reports and documentation of attempts to report nursing home abuse to your designated ombudsman, the Stickney Township Office on Aging at (708) 636-8850, or the Adult Protective Services Hotline at (866) 800-1409.
When you have exhausted your local reporting options, consider contacting a Stickney sepsis lawyer. The lawyers at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm may help relieve the burden of collecting evidence, filing a claim, and obtaining a settlement.
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Our lawyers can handle difficult cases. Whether you are dealing with a negligent nursing home that caused personal injury, breach of contract, medical malpractice, or wrongful death, having a legal case with significant evidence may help you get fair compensation. In fact, our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, so we do not get paid until you get compensated for damages like medical bills, funeral expenses, and emotional suffering.
Nursing home abuse cases often turn into civil court issues, but you may not need to see the inside of a courtroom at all. If it becomes necessary to pursue fair compensation, we may help you build a case on behalf of your loved one and fight for your rights.
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Review Your Case With a Sepsis Lawyer Serving StickneyElder abuse remains inexcusable and absolutely preventable. You may hold the nursing home or long-term care facility liable for losses, pain, and suffering that it caused your loved one. Do not wait to begin building your case. We aim for you or your loved one to suffer no further harm as a result of sepsis that stemmed from negligence on the part of the caregiver and nursing home administration.
The statute of limitations for each legal claim you may consider making on behalf of your loved one varies, so act quickly. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm now for a free consultation. You can reach us.
Call or text (800) 842-6336 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form