What to Know About Pressure Sores and Nursing Home Neglect Lawsuits
Do you have a loved one that is currently residing in a nursing home facility? If so, you likely have concerns about their health and wellbeing, since they are under the care of another person every single day. Unfortunately, situations can arise where your loved one is not receiving the best care and become a victim of nursing home neglect. One common injury that may come up is pressure sores, also known as bedsores, which are caused by the neglect of the nursing home staff. Here is what you need to know about these injuries and how they relate to a potential lawsuit.
What Are Pressure Sores?
A pressure sore can form on someone's body due to unrelieved pressure on their body. While it is common to have them appear on someone's backside due to being on their back for too long, it is possible for a pressure sore to be anywhere. Your loved one is not capable of repositioning themselves in bed, and it is the responsibility of the nursing home to reposition residents every couple of hours to offload the pressure on their body. If this is not done regularly, the pressure sore will start to form.
Are Pressure Sores A Common Injury?
A nursing home neglect lawyer will likely tell you that pressure sores are one of the most common types of injuries they see when dealing with nursing home abuse. While the injury is completely preventable, it can easily happen to anyone over time when a facility is short-staffed or simply does not care about its residents.
Do Nursing Homes Minimize Pressure Sores?
If you decide to visit your loved one in a nursing home and discover that they have a pressure sore, expect the nursing home facility to make it appear as if the injury is not as bad as it sounds. Don't expect the staff to come out and say that they have a pressure sore and are working on getting it to go down. Instead, they may start getting technical with how they refer to the sore, calling it a decubitus ulcer instead.
If the pressure sore has gotten to the point where it is huge and is not going away, then you know that serious neglect took place and you have a viable nursing home neglect lawsuit on your hands. Reach out to a nursing home neglect lawyer to see how they can help you seek compensation for your loved one's injury.