Bed Sores On The Body
Bed sores, also known as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers, are serious injuries that often occur as the result of negligence committed by nursing home staff. More specifically, bedsores are injuries to a person’s skin and underlying tissues that result from prolonged pressure.
Bedsores will often appear on skin that functions to cover bony areas of the human body, including, elbows, ankles, heels, hips, and buttocks. Bedsores can develop quickly and are difficult to treat. High financial costs and loss of dignity can result if proper care is not immediately taken to remedy the problem. If you or someone you love has developed bedsores then you must immediately contact the Nursing Home Neglect lawyers at the Law Offices of Samuel Fishman for your FREE consultation.
Bed sores are often found in nursing home situations because the nursing home staff fails to meet the basic standards of care for its residents. Often, bedsores will occur when a person’s body is kept in the same position for so long that his or her own weight cuts off blood flow to specific parts of the body. When run correctly, a nursing home will ensure that its patients are turned every couple of hours to help protect the patient.
Unfortunately, all too often, nursing home staff fails to meet the needs of its wheelchair-bound, bed-bound, and paralyzed patients. When a patient cannot roll over on his or her own and the nursing home staff fails to assist, bedsores are nearly bound to result.
If bedsores do occur, the nursing is obligated to take appropriate action. This often begins with notification to both the resident’s family and physician. When a nursing home fails to take action with regard to developing bedsores, the results can be grim. Often, the resident will be left with open wounds that will take extended time to heal.
In severe cases, the results can include death. With the prevention of bedsores as simple as having an effective plan as required by federal law, there is no excuse for the failure of a nursing home to execute said plan and keep its residents bedsore free.
There are various types of neglect that are known to contribute to the existence of bedsores in nursing home residents. These include:
- An immobile resident being forced to stay in the same position for extended periods of time
- Failure of the nursing home staff to check residents for bedsores
- Failure to notify the family, caregiver, and physician of the appearance of bedsores
- Failure to change wet sheets, adult diapers, or other causes of moisture that remain close to a resident’s skin
- Improper nutrition of resident
- Improper dehydration of resident
The failure of a nursing home to provide the care and attention required to its residents is a serious violation of the trust placed with nursing home staff.
If a nursing home has failed to provide appropriate care to your loved one, then it is time to contact the Nursing Home Neglect attorneys at the Law Offices of Samuel Fishman. Our attorneys will provide a free consultation to examine the facts of your case. Further, with our no fee guarantee, you are assured that you will not pay a single fee until we obtain a monetary recovery for your claim. Do not let a nursing home take advantage of your loved one.