Nursing homes are licensed by the state and must adhere to certain safety regulations and health codes. Failure to change soiled linen or assist patients who need help in using the bathroom constitutes neglect when repeatedly doing so leads to bed sores.
At the law office of Bordas & Bordas, our lawyers work closely with health inspectors, investigators and physicians in documenting bed sores and determining how they were allowed to happen. We depose attendants, nursing staff and nursing home administrators to expose code violations and general malfeasance that resulted in our patientsâ injuries.
Bed sores are a sign of abuse and neglect in nursing homes. If your loved one has developed bed sores, contact nursing home negligence attorneys at the law office of Bordas & Bordas today. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with an experienced Pittsburgh bed and pressure sores lawyer.
A bed soreâalso known as a decubitus ulcer, pressure ulcer, or pressure soreâis a wound that is caused by excessive pressure. Bed sores may also be referred to as a deep tissue injury, or a DTI. Pressure sores are classified by four stages of severity: one, two, three, and four.
Nursing home residents who suffer from bed sores experience extraordinary levels of pain. Those who suffer from stage three or four pressure sores may need to have a painful debridementâthe removal of dead or infected tissue. Severe pressure ulcers can lead to dangerous infections such as sepsis, which can cause death.
Bed sores are typically a symptom of a larger problem involving neglect or abuse. The following conditions are often found to be the cause, or a contributing cause, of bed sores:
If a resident cannot move themselves in bed, they need to be repositioned frequently to prevent pressure ulcers. Nursing home staff must be vigilant to ensure there is no extended pressure to any given point of the residentâs body, particularly the areas that are their pressure points. A skilled Pittsburgh nursing home bed and pressure sore attorney could hold a caretaker accountable for their negligence.
Bed sores can lead to serious medical complications involving infections and potentially life-threatening musculoskeletal problems. In some instances, patients may have to be transferred to a hospital for additional treatment and recovery. To ensure our client receives compensation proportional to incurred medical expenses and pain and suffering, our proactive bed and pressure sores attorneys in Pittsburgh consult experienced medical economists who can quantify current and future costs associated with bed sores.
Most nursing homes realize they can have their license suspended and incur heavy fines when authorities discover neglect in their facility. As a result, staff with any knowledge of wrongdoing may be dismissed or relocated, evidence tampered with and records destroyed. Working with investigators, our bed and pressure sores lawyers in Pittsburgh can often track down employees and expose contradictory information in available records, medical evidence and testimony from other workers or patients.
Donât assume bed sores are just an unpleasant consequence of institutional care. To schedule an appointment and learn how we can help you, contact a Pittsburgh bed and pressure sores lawyer at the law office of Bordas & Bordas today.
