Bedsore Injury Attorneys in Savannah

Seeking Compensation for Injured Nursing Home Residents

Bedsores aren’t just an uncomfortable bruise or irritation. They are a very serious medical condition with potentially dangerous consequences. Also known as decubitus ulcers or pressure sores, bedsores occur when pressure is applied to a body part that has a bony prominence and a thin skin covering for an extended period of time. This occurs most often in hospitals and nursing homes when a patient is in bed for long periods of time without moving or turning.

In the case of nursing home residents, their advanced age and/or medical condition makes it so they can’t turn over by themselves and require assistance. Failure to do so can result in painful pressure sores on the shoulder blades, heels, elbows, hips, tailbone, and other bony areas of the body.

If a nursing home resident develops bedsores or decubitus ulcers, there’s a good chance the facility’s medical staff is not turning the resident over as often as is required. This is an example of nursing home neglect.

Is your loved one suffering from bedsores at their care facility? Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys is ready to stand up and fight for you and your family. We refuse to let neglectful nursing home staff continue to harm you or your loved one.

Schedule a free consultation with our Savannah bedsore injury attorneys by calling (912) 809-5335 now.

Causes of Bedsores in Nursing Home Residents

Bedsores are usually the result of nursing home neglect that occurs when their caretaker fails to turn them routinely.

A few other factors that can lead to bedsores include:

• Moisture from unchanged adult diapers or wet sheets
• Malnutrition or dehydration
• Immobility for long periods of time
• Laying in a way that applies more pressure on bony parts of the body

To prevent painful pressure sores from developing, residents who are unable to turn themselves in bed must be repositioned by a nursing home staff member about every two hours. If pressure sores or decubitus ulcers do develop, they can cause excruciating pain, and the resident may even be at risk of dying if the pressure sore develops deep into the tissue and affects sensitive internal organs.

Risk Factors for Bedsores

Bedsores take a while to develop and can easily be prevented, as well as easily treated and cured if they do develop. Unfortunately, even though bedsores are easily preventable with a mere level of attention generally expected from caretakers, approximately 25% of nursing home residents will experience them at some point during their nursing home stay.

Since nursing home residents with limited strength and mobility are more likely to develop bedsores, caretakers need to use caution when caring for these individuals.

Residents most susceptible to pressure sores include:

• Residents aged 75 or older
• Residents who are unable to feed themselves
• Residents who are physically unable to position themselves due to physical limitations
• Individuals restrained by straps or other restraints
• Underweight residents
• Those with a bony frame
• Individuals with decreased mental ability or a medical condition rendering them unable to turn on their own.
• Those who forget or choose not to turn themselves often enough, if they are able
• Residents with extra dry skin
• Residents with serious medical conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis or diabetes

According to federal law, nursing home staff members are responsible for acting to prevent bedsores and decubitus ulcers in nursing home residents in all cases where they are preventable. In a few cases, bedsores are found to be unavoidable due to the resident’s specific medical condition, but in most cases, they are completely preventable and nursing home neglect is to blame for their development.

Seek Justice – Call Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys

If your loved one has developed pressure sores or bedsores due to nursing home neglect, we want to hear from you as soon as possible. The sooner you report bedsores in a nursing home resident, the sooner action can be taken to stop the neglect, reverse the development of bedsores, and recover any compensation for pain and suffering your loved one may be entitled to.

Get in touch with our Savannah bedsore injury attorneys at (912) 809-5335 now.