Your NJ Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Discusses Bedsores and Negligence

A common problem in nursing homes is that individualized attention to residents is often inadequate. This is especially shameful, given that many of our elderly loved ones in such facilities are unable to fend for themselves and must rely on nursing home staff members. Among the more common problems are bedsores, but these are not a necessary and inevitable result of old age. If your loved one suffers from bedsores, speak with a NJ nursing home abuse attorney to discuss whether you have grounds for a claim against the facility.

A NJ Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Discusses Bedsores and Their Causes

Your NJ nursing home abuse attorney will tell you that if your loved one is very restricted in movement, such as bedridden or wheelchair-bound, the potential for bedsores is significant. Sores tend to be located in areas where the body rests, such as the buttocks, back, heels, elbows and bottoms of feet. They are also referred to as skin ulcers or decubitus ulcers.

Your NJ nursing home abuse attorney will suggest that any part of the body your loved one may rest upon for an extended period of time should be examined. Bedsores are created when the blood flow to a part of the body is cut off or diminished due to pressure, such as from sitting or lying down. In time the skin dies, and the tissue then turns into a sore.

A NJ Nursing Home Abuse Attorney on Complications Resulting From Bedsores

As your NJ nursing home abuse attorney will tell you, bedsores can lead to serious infection. They begin as a red spot, which then blisters and opens. Skin lesions can develop that then become infected. The dangers are high, even life-threatening. Residents who are left in their feces or urine tend to face particularly serious infections.

What is particularly disturbing about bedsores is that they are very much preventable. Your NJ nursing home abuse attorney will tell you that staff are supposed to turn prostrate residents regularly, at least once every two hours. It is not enough that a resident is placed in a wheelchair; pressure sores can and do occur from extended sitting.

Contact a NJ Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for Legal Assistance

If you notice bedsores on your loved one, speak with a NJ nursing home abuse attorney to discuss your options. You may be able to gain compensation for medical treatment, pain and suffering. Call the Clark Law Firm, PC to arrange a consultation today at 877-841-8855.