Despite our best intentions and efforts, sometimes the older members of our families must be moved into a nursing home. In many cases, stays in nursing homes can be very positive. The nursing staff takes pride in their work and ensures that patients are well taken care of.
Unfortunately, there are also many cases where nursing homes neglect patients and allow them to develop bed sores. When these painful and sometimes deadly sores develop, you may be wondering, can you sue a nursing home for bed sores? Thankfully, compensation is very possible with this helpful information.
How Do Bed Sores Develop?
When a patient has lost his or her mobility due to injury, disability, or disease, they often need to sit or lie down for many hours a day. The average person with normal mobility will move around while lying down, which prevents pressure from building up in certain areas of the body.
However, those with mobility issues may not be able to shift positions, and may not even have enough sensation to feel when pressure sores have developed. By lying or sitting in the same position, day after day and week after week, the major points of pressure can break open. These wounds can be hard to address after the fact, as they can become infected and, in some cases, may even extend all the way down to the bone.
How to Get Compensation for Bed Sores Sustained in Nursing Homes
As soon as a pressure sore develops, it’s crucial that treatment be administered. If the staff delays treatment, serious issues can quickly progress.
Pressure sores are often categorized by the severity of the wound in question. Generally, clinicians will diagnose a bed sore from stage 1 to stage 4.
Stage 1 pressure sores are typically considered precursors to bed sores, as they primarily consist of redness and irritation in a high-pressure region of the body.
Stage 2 pressure sores are characterized by blistering skin.
Stage 3 pressure sores consist of open wounds. These are much more serious afflictions than stage 1 and 2 pressure sores.
Stage 4 pressure sores are characterized by dying skin in the area of the wound.
In order to get compensation for any grade of pressure sore, family members need to document the wound and quickly contact a skilled lawyer who deals with nursing home neglect cases.
How Much Money Should Victims Expect to Receive from Pressure Sore Cases?
Because of the variability in pressure sores and the situations surrounding these wounds, it’s hard to give an average settlement figure. However, victims should be able to receive compensation for the medications and treatments needed to address the bed sores. Furthermore, if a nursing home resident should pass away as a result of the pressure sore, families may be able to pursue a wrongful death case and receive compensation.
Conclusion
Pressure sores are devastating injuries that are often preventable with attentive nurses and nursing assistants. When pressure sores develop, victims may experience anything from mild discomfort to death. If you or a loved one has suffered from a pressure sore while staying in a nursing home, call a nursing home abuse lawyer today!