Families are justifiably distraught when they discover a loved one has been treated poorly by nursing home staff. One of the more common issues that happens due to negligence is the development of pressure ulcers, commonly called bedsores. People develop these painful, deep skin ulcers when they stay in one position most of the time, typically lying down. The problem sometimes occurs during long hospital stays as well. A Nursing Home Negligence Attorney in Gonzales LA can help families gain financial compensation and alert authorities to signs of neglect in the facility.
This condition is considered evidence of neglect because pressure ulcers are entirely preventable by nurses and nursing assistants. The person’s body is moved to a different position routinely if he or she experiences limited mobility. A common example is someone who is bedridden; this individual should not lie in one position all day. The staff members should be routinely turning the resident, just as people without mobility issues do on their own normally. Although pressure ulcers do occur in hospital settings, the condition is substantially more likely to happen in a nursing home. These facilities often do not have enough nursing assistants on staff, and the ones they hire tend to be overworked with too many patients to attend to. In addition, nursing homes primarily house elderly individuals. Their skin has become thinner with age and more susceptible to the tissue breaking and wearing down.
Aside from the discomfort, the main problem with bedsores is that they are difficult to treat and heal very slowly, if at all. The nursing home resident’s circulation may not be sufficient for the body’s natural ability to heal serious skin lesions. The person suffers ongoing discomfort and is at risk of infection. There are different medical stages of these sores and a Nursing Home Negligence Attorney in Gonzales LA will need complete documentation from a physician in regard to the severity of the problem. Contact The Litigation Firm of Pujol, Pryor & Irwin for assistance if your loved one is suffering from a pressure ulcer that developed while staying in a skilled nursing facility.
