Pressure Sore Injuries at Nursing Homes

If you have discovered that your senior loved one is experiencing or has experienced painful, possibly serious pressure sores during their stay at their nursing home facility, you may be entitled to file a claim for damages based on their pain and suffering. The experienced elder abuse attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP can help you get started on a case right away, whether you’re in the Boston area or elsewhere in Massachusetts.

What are Pressure Sores?

Pressure sores, also known as bedsores, are wounds which can occur to senior citizens who are unable to be mobile and must lie down for extended periods of time. If a bedridden or immobilized senior citizen is physically shifted regularly, they shouldn’t have any additional difficulties. However, if a senior citizen is left unattended and rests for multiple hours on the same areas of skin, they can develop painful pressure sores, which can range in severity and painfulness.

Pressure sores most often happen on areas of skin that make direct contact with a bed, such as the back of the head, the neck, the shoulders, the back, the buttocks, the backs of the legs and the heels of the feet. Pressure sores are caused by a mixture of pressure on the skin and friction between the skin and the material of the bedsheets or whatever surface the elderly individual is lying on.

Pressure sores can range in severity and have four different levels. At the lowest level, a pressure sore will simply be an area of irritated skin. It may be uncomfortable, but at this level a pressure sore is not considered serious. Anything at a Level 2 or above (all the way up to a Level 4 sore) can be serious, as any pressure sores at these levels are open wounds of exponential severity.

With pressure sore injuries, not only is the sore itself painful and unacceptable for a senior citizen to have to endure while in the care of a nursing home facility, but the sores can develop infections due to being open wounds, which can result in far more serious conditions like sepsis – consequences which can lead to extended hospital stays or even death for a senior citizen.

Responsible Facilities don’t let Bedsores Happen

Massachusetts state law requires nursing home facilities to employ enough staff to make sure that their senior clients are cared for and have a decent standard of life. Any facility that allows its residents to suffer from bedsores is not taking its state mandated responsibilities seriously enough. Prevention of bedsores is as easy as checking in on seniors often to ensure they’ve moved from a stationary position. If this is too much to handle, then the facility likely has serious issues and could be liable for damages.

Bedsores can cause pain and undue suffering to senior citizens who already have compromised immune systems, and infections from bedsores can lead to more serious disease and even death if they aren’t handled with haste and medical expertise. If you have visited a loved one and seen bedsores or have heard them complain about having bed sores in the past, take these signs seriously.

Altman & Altman LLP has over 50 years of experience holding negligent nursing home facilities accountable for a lack of attention leading to bedsores and undue pain and suffering in their senior residents. We can help you file a claim to receive financial compensation, which can help pay for their medical treatment and transfer to another care facility where they will be properly cared for.

Call us for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617.492.3000 or toll-free at 800.481.6199. We are available 24/7.