A NJ Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Discusses Ulcers
While the incidence of peptic ulcers has decreased generally in recent decades, numbers are increasing for elderly individuals. When a resident of a nursing care facility suffers from peptic ulcer disease (PUD), diagnosis and/or treatment may be neglected. If your loved one has suffered from PUD as a result of negligence, it is very important that you speak with a NJ nursing home abuse lawyer right away.
A NJ Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Explains Peptic Ulcers and Their Causes
Peptic ulcer disease results in a hole, or breach, in the stomach lining. The immediate cause is acids and pepsin, which, when out of balance, lead to lesions. A NJ nursing home abuse lawyer will tell you that ulcers are not uncommon in the elderly where the body is diminishing in its ability to maintain chemical and other biological balances—known as homeostasis—and a strong immune system.
Smoking is one of the culprits behind peptic ulcers, but your NJ nursing home abuse lawyer will tell you that numerous medications that are commonly used in nursing care facilities may cause or worsen the effects of ulcers as well, particularly pain remedies such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
A NJ Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer on Ulcers and Neglect
Elderly residents of nursing homes are in many ways at the mercy of their caregivers. Staffing of these facilities is often problematic—caregivers and nurses are overworked and sometimes are not even adequately trained for elder care. Your NJ nursing home abuse lawyer will tell you that an unfortunate consequence of neglect in nursing homes is that patients often may go untreated, or even undiagnosed, for medical conditions that can cause considerable pain and suffering.
Neglect of a nursing home resident can include failure to provide proper tests to determine the cause of health complaints. As a NJ nursing home abuse lawyer will tell you, an overworked staff might respond to a resident’s complaints of pain with more medication, which may only exacerbate a peptic ulcer. Or they may chalk up the complaint to the maladies of being old. Only a proper diagnosis of a peptic ulcer is sufficient, which usually includes X-rays and endoscopies.
Contact a NJ Nursing Home Abuse Attorney for Legal Assistance Today
If you believe that a loved one has suffered from PUD needlessly, speak to a NJ nursing home abuse lawyer to determine whether you have grounds for a claim for compensation. Call Clark Law Firm, PC today at 877-841-8855.