Bedsores may occur when those with limited or no mobility spend too much time sitting or laying on certain areas of the body. However, with proper care and attention, bedsores can be an avoidable ailment. This is especially true in nursing home environments, where staff is trained to catch Stage 1 bedsores, otherwise known as pressure ulcers, before they worsen. After all, even mild bedsores in New York nursing homes can turn into a bonafide health crisis. When this happens, Dalli & Marino may be able to help.
Nursing homes that compromise the health of their residents should be held accountable. Ignoring a budding bedsore is tantamount to neglect, especially given the significant health implications that may develop as a result. An experienced New York nursing home abuse lawyer can apprise you of the best options for legal action and next steps to address the situation.
Bedsore Stages and Symptoms
A bedsore can develop when a person sits or lays in one position for too long, putting pressure on the skin and damaging the tissue underneath. These maladies are entirely preventable, as they can be mitigated simply by moving around. In nursing homes, residents are not always able to move, which is why staff members are trained to help move those with limited mobility to avoid breakdowns in skin tissue. Bedsores vary in terms of severity ranging from stage one to four:
- Stage 1: This is the mildest form of bedsore and is indicated by red and slightly warm skin to the touch. It may be itchy, but it is not yet an open wound.
- Stage 2: A Stage 2 bedsore is the point at which the area has likely splintered open, and the wound becomes discolored and the discomfort more severe.
- Stage 3: At this stage, the bedsore has caused the skin to begin caving inwards, and the damage from the pressure extends into the tissue just under the skin. At this point, the wound may hurt less because the nerves around the area have been damaged.
- Stage 4: This is the most severe stage of a bedsore, as the damage has extended into the skin’s tissue and the nearby tendons and muscles. It may even be impacting the bone. The risk of infection at this stage is extremely high.
If caught at the first sign of skin redness, it is much easier to stop a bedsore from progressing into something much more severe. However, it is incumbent on the nursing home in question to be aware of what is happening with your loved one before bedsores end up at stage four, a critical healthcare emergency.
Bedsore Warning Signs
The truth is that some areas of the body are more prone to bedsores than others. Moreover, those unable to move are more likely to develop bedsores than those who are fully mobile, which is a fact of which the nursing home should be aware. Signs of bedsores that indicate an impending issue include:
- Skin discoloration
- Swelling
- Changes in skin texture
- Changes in skin temperature
- Areas that become tender to the touch
These warning signs may present themselves on areas of the body that are more prone to bedsores, including the tailbone, hips, feet, shoulder blades, back of the head and back of the knee.
Ways a New York Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Help
Because bedsores can be treated and sometimes even avoided, nursing homes often try to evade responsibility for being accountable for skin breakdowns. As premier New York nursing home abuse lawyers, the team at Dalli & Marino is all too familiar with nursing homes that fail to protect their vulnerable residents from health-related issues like Stage 1 bedsores. The truth is that nursing home staff members should be trained in spotting the signs of a bedsore and reacting quickly to address it. It is only when staff neglects to properly and frequently check residents for signs of a burgeoning bedsore that the wound can fester.
We will incorporate our extensive background in New York nursing home abuse law and aggressively advocate for your loved one. Bedsores can result in serious health complications, so we take our role in your case seriously. We will pursue an ideal outcome for your case, including damages if applicable, to ensure that this does not happen to others.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today
If your loved one has developed bed sores while in the care of a nursing home, you may have cause for concern. At Dalli & Marino, we can help you determine what legal recourse you might have and how to best proceed. Your loved one deserves to be adequately cared for while under the purview of a nursing home. Moreover, nursing homes should have appropriately trained staff to ensure that bedsores do not develop when residents are adequately cared for and not left to lay in their beds for longer than is healthy.
Don’t delay in finding out what the next steps should be. We will help you figure out how to handle the situation so that your loved one receives competent care. Schedule a free consultation today by calling us at (888) 465-8790 or reach out to us online to learn more. Se habla Español.
