According to the journal Aging Health, the 1.5 million people living in 16,000 nursing homes across the United States suffer an average of 2 million infections per year. Per the data by the research, the most common infections among nursing home residents include:
- Urinary tract infections
- Gastroenteritis
- Influenza
- Skin infections
- Respiratory infections
- Soft-tissue infections
These infections, when left untreated, can lead to intense pain and suffering, debilitating injuries, and death. Nursing home facilities have a duty of care to treat residents with infections and ensure that they make full recovery. When they fail in their duty of care, you can hire a Tucson untreated infections lawyer and seek justice for the pain and suffering of your elderly loved one. To take this step, call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to discuss your case with a member of our team.
Why Nursing Home Residents Are Susceptible to Infections
When there is poor personal care and bad environmental cleaning practices, nursing home facilities can be a breeding ground for infections. The residents, who have a weakened or compromised immune system due to existing medical conditions are typically at risk of these infections. This happens because:
- They have a poor response to vaccines. For example, most nursing home facilities require residents to have flu vaccines; however, they do not always work due to them being older, frailer, and sicker. On the other hand, some nursing homes do not vaccinate their residents at all due to oversight or negligence, making them far more susceptible to infections.
- They share common resources. In nursing homes, social activities such as games and watching television are done in large groups. Since the residents also share a living space, meals, water, and other amenities, an outbreak is likely to occur if one or two people are infected.
- They have small rooms. Most nursing homes see a large number of residents sharing small rooms. The small living space can easily trigger the spread of diseases and infections if one resident has a medical condition that goes unchecked and brings it to the nursing home.
- They receive visitors. While it is often overlooked, friends and family members of residents can be carriers of infections. Since there is physical contact during visitation, they can unknowingly expose the resident to a harmful pathogen.
What Nursing Homes Can Do to Minimize the Spread of Infections and Prevent Untreated Infections
In the face of an infection, the nursing home staff needs to adopt standard medical practices and keep the nursing home relatively sterile. They must also:
- Clean wounds promptly and properly to reduce bioburden.
- Change diapers as needed and keep the area clean and dry.
- Isolate infected residents and provide intense supervision.
- Use catheters minimally to prevent urinary tract infections.
- Wear personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, and gowns.
- Maintain proper nutrition and hydration for residents.
- Wash their hands regularly and properly to prevent the spread of pathogens.
- Require visitors to observe hygiene practices.
The Problem with Untreated Infections
When residents are poorly supervised or looked after by untrained staff, they may not heal completely from the infections they contract. This can result in amputations, bacterial infections, and new illnesses and diseases. This explains why a Tucson untreated infections lawyer advises clients to look out for the common signs of infections in your elderly loved one, including:
- Fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, and vomiting for bacterial infections.
- Body aches, congestion, runny nose, and difficulties in breathing for respiratory infections.
- Burning sensation during urination, frequent and intense urge to urinate, fever, pain or pressure in their back or lower abdomen, and vomiting for urinary tract infections.
- Blister-looking sores, red skin surrounding the injury, pus or fluid leaking from the sore, fever, and wounds that have not healed after 10 days for skin infections.
Nursing home residents with diabetes, weakened or compromised immune systems, decreased mobility or immobility, and poor hygiene are likely to be at risk of infections. Therefore, proper care must be taken to ensure that they do not suffer any further from untreated infections. If you would like to discuss your loved one’s condition with staff, contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today.
For a free legal consultation with a Untreated Infections Lawyer serving Tucson, call (800) 794-0444
What to Do if Your Loved One Suffered from Nursing Home Neglect
Neglect in nursing homes can result in steep medical bills, pain and suffering, psychological distress, and additional care cost. It is also a form of abuse that should not have happened in the first place. As such, it is only reasonable to hold the nursing home facility accountable for their actions and ensure that their negligence comes to an abrupt end. When you hire Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, we will take steps that can result in justice for your loved one. These steps include:
- Investigating the nursing home and their care practices.
- Holding them accountable for your loved one’s injuries.
- Investigating the cause of your loved one’s injuries.
- Looking for evidence that your loved one suffered a great deal while in their care.
Tucson Untreated Infections Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
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