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Nursing home residents often receive fabulous, top-of-the-line care from professionals who are passionate about the safekeeping and wellbeing of others. However, not all nursing home residents are so lucky; some nursing home patients in Minnesota become victims of nursing home abuse or neglect, suffering harm as such. One type of injury that is common within nursing homes are pressure sores, a completely preventable condition.
Consult with an experienced nursing home abuse attorney at the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm, who can explain your rights and options. The threat of a lawsuit or legal action is one of the most significant means that nursing home residents and their families have to fight against substandard and abusive conditions. In response, the nursing home industry has steadily sought legislation nationally and throughout the individual states that would limit one of the few protections that shielding our nation’s frail and vulnerable elderly nursing home residents: civil lawsuits that hold facilities accountable for the injuries they have inflicted.
A Congressional study found that nine out of ten U.S. nursing homes lack adequate staff, and that staffing is in fact so dangerously low in more than half of nursing homes that residents’ lives are jeopardized. NCCNHR’s executive director pointed out that:
“Despite these staggering statistics, the nursing home industry is supporting federal legislation that would put limits on one of the few protections shielding our nation’s frail elderly nursing home residents: civil lawsuits that hold facilities accountable for the injuries they have inflicted. In the states that have already enacted tort reform legislation, nursing home residents have been robbed of their basic legal protections and denied access to the courts when they need it most.”
Pressure sores are a serious concern for nursing home residents. Not only are these sores incredibly painful, but they can also lead to other complications, including:
In some cases, pressure sores can lead to fatal conditions.
The Mayo Clinic explains that pressure sores can be prevented by a number of things, including frequently moving/changing positions as explained above. In addition to repositioning oneself as often as possible, things like keeping the skin clean and dry, protecting the skin with lotion or certain clothing, maintaining good nutrition and fluid intake, and using mattresses or cushions that alleviate pressure. Unfortunately, when these things are lacking within a nursing home setting due to negligent care, pressure sores are more likely.
The development of pressure sores on a nursing home resident’s body is rarely intentional; instead, it is often the result of nursing home neglect. Neglect may occur because a nursing home staff member is overworked and assigned to too many patients than they can effectively manage, or because the nursing home professional is poorly trained, and doesn’t realize how quickly pressure sores can develop or how serious they can be. Pressure sores can worsen quickly as well if they are not treated immediately, and sores may go undetected if nursing home staff members are not frequently checking for them.
Pressure sores are preventable, and when a nursing home resident develops pressure sores, it is typically because they were neglected by a nursing home professional. Intentional or not, a nursing home needs to be held responsible for this harm, and patients and their families should be compensated.
At the Kosieradzki & Smith Law Firm LLC, our Minnesota nursing home neglect attorneys want to do our part to ensure that nursing home residents receive the care they deserve. If your loved one has suffered pressure sores, with or without other complications, we want to talk with you. Please contact us today to schedule a free consultation and learn more.
