South Carolina has numerous nursing homes throughout the state, including in the Greenville metropolitan area. Ideally, nursing facilities should provide a safe environment for the residents during their sunset years, but cases of neglect and abuse do occur.
Bedsores are a common complication arising from various states of neglect. Immobility, lack of proper nutrition and hydration, and blood circulation problems due to illnesses such as diabetes are all common risk factors for bedsores. Victims of pressure ulcers and bedsores in South Carolina nursing homes may qualify for compensation by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.
If your loved one has been a victim of neglect and sustained personal injuries, a bedsore attorney can help you establish the facility’s liability and pursue compensation. At Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm, we have helped many families with nursing home abuse cases in Greenville, SC, and we can help you explore your legal options.
What Is a Bedsore?
As explained by the Mayo Clinic, bedsores, which are also called pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers, are injuries that occur after there is pressure on one part of the body for an extended period of time. For example, a patient in a wheelchair may sit in one position for prolonged periods, which strains parts of their body.
A pressure ulcer can develop on the surface of the skin and below it. They can start off as discolored patches of skin that may look red, purple, or blue. Some people with a pressure ulcer may develop a high fever, which is a serious warning sign. Additionally, if left untreated, bedsores can become infected and put the patient at risk of experiencing serious and potentially life-threatening harm.
Stages and Complications of Bedsores
Bedsores start from an initial skin irritation and progress to deeper and serious ulcers as treatment delays. Here are the stages:
Stage 1: The skin is intact but appears discolored and may be red and itchy.
Stage 2: The top two layers of the skin (epidermis and dermis) are broken, and a painful blister may form.
Stage 3: The sore progresses into the fatty tissue below the skin and has a crater-like appearance.
Stage 4: The wound deepens and damages the muscle, tendons, and bone and may show signs of infection.
A bedsore may also be unstageable. In this case, it usually has discolored tissue around it, making it hard to tell the depth of the wound until after cleaning it.
Causes of Bedsores Among Nursing Home Residents
As people grow older, their skin thins out and becomes dry, which increases the risk of tears from friction. Other factors, such as disease-caused blood flow problems, also raise the risk.
Common causes of nursing home bedsores include:
- Pressure due to immobility: Residents with immobility issues require regular turning and repositioning, without which pressure ulcers can develop.
- Friction and shear: Failing to exercise care while moving residents with immobility issues can cause friction and shearing, increasing the risk of developing bedsores on irritated skin.
- Poor nutrition and hydration: Lack of good nutrition and hydration can compromise skin health and increase the risk of bedsores.
- Moist skin: If staff fail to change clothing and bedding for residents with incontinence issues regularly, the moisture can damage the skin and eventually cause bedsores to develop.
Pressure ulcers can also develop because those who work at an assisted living facility are neglecting or abusing their patients. For example, they may not be completing comprehensive checks when they interact with their patients as part of their daily rounds.
What Do Nursing Homes Have To Do To Help Prevent and Treat Bedsores?
Nursing homes have an obligation to regularly care for their patients, which includes rotating and moving bedridden residents. Medical staff should incorporate active movement in their rounds when they check on patients they are assigned to.
Additionally, nursing home workers should examine residents—particularly those in high-risk groups—to see if they have developed pressure ulcers. Likewise, medical providers should respond quickly and appropriately when they notice their patients have bedsores. Acting quickly can help prevent the bedsore from becoming infected and seriously injuring the patient.
Can Bedsores Be the Result of Abuse or Neglect?
Yes. Nursing home staff, including the doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, and others who work for the facility, are required to provide each patient with a minimum level of care. For example, they should make sure patients are given clean water and healthy food, bathed regularly, helped to engage in movement, and given prescribed medications.
Medical staff may neglect to check on their bedridden patients, increasing the patients’ risks of bedsores. When they do check on them, staff may cut corners and not do a complete examination during the encounter. As a result, patients may develop bedsores because they do not have the strength, muscle control, or dexterity to move themselves safely or at all.
Abusive nursing home practices, such as forcibly restraining or isolating patients, may also cause residents to develop pressure ulcers. Nursing home abuse and neglect are both unlawful and affected patients and their loved ones may be able to take legal action.
What To Do If You Think Nursing Home Misconduct Caused Your Loved One’s Bedsore
Pressure ulcers and bedsores in South Carolina nursing homes are serious matters, and taking effective action can help prevent infection, debilitation, or death due to an untreated wound. Steps you can take to help support your loved one’s health and safety include seeking medical treatment and contacting the authorities.
Additionally, you can file a formal legal complaint or notify a government agency about your concerns. You can also talk to a lawyer who handles nursing home abuse and neglect cases in South Carolina.
Seek medical attention
If you believe your loved one has an untreated bedsore, your first step is to make sure they receive medical attention. Pressure ulcers can become infected and result in tissue death if left alone, so it is essential to get help right away.
If you believe the bedsore was caused by neglect or abuse, you may want to discuss this concern with your loved one or their care team. The treating physician may make a note of this in their after-visit summary, which you can use as evidence later.
Contact the authorities
If the nursing home staff were abusing or neglecting your loved one, you may report this to the authorities. If your loved one is in immediate danger, it may be appropriate to contact local law enforcement so they have a record of this and can investigate.
Other agencies you may notify include the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program or Adult Protective Services. These agencies can investigate claims of misconduct in South Carolina’s nursing homes. However, they cannot provide personalized legal advice and recommendations like an elder abuse attorney can.
Talk to a nursing home abuse lawyer.
A trained attorney can be an excellent resource if the staff at a long-term care center causes your loved one to develop a pressure ulcer. Residents are dependent on staff members to provide them with timely and well-researched care. Oftentimes, pressure wounds would not happen if someone’s medical providers had done their jobs correctly.
A lawyer can help you and your loved one determine if the facility is to blame and whether you or they are entitled to compensation because of it. They can also locate evidence and file documents, such as the legal complaint, to help preserve the victim’s rights.
What Can Our Nursing Home Bedsore Attorney Do?
If your loved one has sustained bedsores due to neglect, a nursing home bedsore attorney can help you explore your legal options, including pursuing compensation. Below are some of the ways we can help you.
Protect your rights
A claim of neglect reflects poorly on a facility. While bedsores are an obvious sign of neglect, the home might still want to fight back to protect its reputation. Working with our attorney ensures you have someone knowledgeable in the relevant laws and evidence gathering to protect your rights.
Prove liability
Evidence is essential in proving the facility’s liability to qualify for compensation. Our nursing home bedsore attorney can help you compile the necessary evidence to demonstrate the center’s negligence and support the damages sustained.
Provide legal guidance
Even with a valid case, there are things one might say or do to invalidate the claim. Our attorney understands the potential legal pitfalls. Dan Pruitt can provide you with the necessary guidance throughout the process to ensure you or your loved one does not admit to or take actions that might compromise the strength of your case.
Negotiate the claim
Insurance companies negotiate claims aggressively to protect their interests. You need someone who can match their negotiation skills on your side to fight for fair compensation. We have handled similar claims before and understand how to counter lowball settlements and negotiate for a fair payment.
File a lawsuit
In most cases, nursing home abuse claims are settled before going to trial. However, if the insurer fails to give a fair settlement and the case facts merit trial, our nursing home bedsore attorney can file a lawsuit and represent you in the proceedings.
Contact Us Today and Let Us Help You Pursue Justice
If your loved one has sustained nursing home bedsores in Greenville and you want to pursue justice for the neglect, we welcome you to contact us at Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm for a free case evaluation. Once you brief us on the details, we will advise you on the available legal options. If the claim merits compensation, we will commit to providing the best legal representation possible. If your loved ones developed pressure ulcers and bedsores in South Carolina nursing homes, call us or schedule a consultation online by filling out our contact form.
FAQs About Bedsore Injuries
Are bedsores a sign of neglect?
Yes. Bedsores occur when the nursing home staff fails to observe standards of care while caring for residents. With attentive care, bedsores from issues, such as pressure due to immobility, friction and shear, poor nutrition and hydration, and incontinence, can be prevented.
Who is at risk of bedsores?
As people age, their skin becomes thin, dry, and highly susceptible to shear. Bedsores can develop in any neglected resident, especially those with issues of mobility, incontinence, blood circulation problems due to conditions such as diabetes, bed-ridden patients, and those unable to sense pain due to lack of sensory perception.