Nursing homes provide living and care accommodations for those who are unable to live independently. Family members rely on these institutions to care for their loved ones and ensure that they are safe. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect are frequently reported throughout West Virginia, and vulnerable residents sustain significant injuries and damages as a result.
Bedsores are one of the most common conditions suffered by nursing home residents and, when not properly treated, can lead to severe pain and medical complications. If your loved one developed bedsores and other conditions due to substandard care, you might have a claim against all responsible parties. The attorneys at Tiano O’Dell, PLLC, represent clients in nursing home abuse claims. Contact our office to schedule a free and confidential consultation.
Why Choose Our Nursing Home Practice
- Our Charleston, West Virginia personal injury attorneys are committed to protecting nursing home residents’ rights. We know that nursing home abuse cases can be difficult and emotional for victims and their families. We will provide you with courteous and compassionate representation while aggressively advocating for your loved one.
- We are committed to West Virginia communities and building relationships with our clients. We treat our clients and their families with dignity and respect as we work to secure the best possible results in every case.
- We keep up with rapidly changing West Virginia nursing home and injury laws. Our attorneys use cutting-edge technology to investigate and manage our cases. Our attorneys provide clients with high-quality and superior legal advocacy.
What Are Bedsores?
Bedsores are sometimes referred to as pressure sores or decubitus ulcers. Regardless of the terminology, bedsores are red spots or sores that develop on the skin due to the skin being in contact with an object for too long. Often the sores develop when patients are in the same position in bed or a wheelchair for too long. Bedsores frequently occur on the heels, hips, elbows, and back. Sometimes bedsores cannot be avoided, but in many cases, bedsores are preventable and are the result of negligence and neglect in nursing homes.
Avoiding bedsores is important because what starts out as minor bedsores can quickly lead to more serious conditions, including infections and sometimes death. The reason bedsores frequently occur in nursing homes is because aging adults are often more limited in mobility due to age or injuries, and if they do not change their position often enough, bedsores are likely to develop. Nursing home employees and medical professionals should be acutely aware of the high risk of bedsores for limited mobility residents and have a duty to exercise preventative care.
Bedsores begin at stage I, as red spots on the skin. They can quickly increase in severity to stage IV bedsores. Bedsores can be very painful and cause significant discomfort, especially when sitting and lying down. Healing from bedsores can be difficult, especially when they reach stages III and IV. It is also common for bedsores to become infected. The most severe skin ulcers have the potential to lead to sepsis, gangrene, and death. However, bedsores can often be stopped from advancing in severity with proper observation, care, and treatment. Unfortunately, without appropriate care and treatment, the wounds can fester and lead to further medical complications.
Bedsore Causes and Contributing Factors
As mentioned above, those with limited mobility are at a heightened risk of developing bedsores, especially if they do not receive the preventative care they need. Common causes and contributing factors in nursing home bedsore cases include the following:
- Failing to promptly change soiled clothes, adult diapers, and bedsheets.
- Allowing patients to remain in the same position for long periods of time.
- Failing to discover bedsores soon after they develop.
- Failing to properly treat bedsores as soon as they are discovered.
- Not reporting the development of bedsores to medical providers and family members to treat and monitor.
- Improper nutrition and hydration.
Liability for Nursing Home Negligence and Abuse
In nursing home neglect and abuse cases, there are often several parties that bear responsibility for a victim’s injuries and damages. For example, hospital employees may be responsible for their negligent and intentional conduct that causes harm to a resident. The care facility and administrators might also be liable for any injuries and damages caused by a facility employee. Nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals can be held accountable for substandard medical care and treatment.
How We Can Help
Our attorneys understand how difficult these cases can be and how victims and their families are impacted by nursing home abuse and neglect. We will handle your case with compassion and relentlessly advocate for your loved one’s rights. We will thoroughly investigate your claim by speaking with witnesses, securing medical records, and reviewing the care facility’s history of practice and conduct. We will go over important facility records and logs, as well as employee training and hiring practices.
Our attorneys will handle all settlement negotiations, including communication with insurance companies. We know that you and your family need time to heal, and we will let you focus on that while we handle the legal process. We will ensure that all of your legal paperwork is timely filed and prepare your case for trial. We settle many of our injury cases for our clients, but we make sure that we are ready to take our claims to court in case we do not reach a settlement agreement that fully compensates our clients for their losses.
Contact Our Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
If your loved one has suffered bedsores and other complications due to substandard nursing home care, you need an attorney with experience representing clients in nursing home negligence and abuse cases. The West Virginia nursing home abuse attorneys at Tiano O’Dell, PLLC, know that these cases can be emotionally devastating for injured residents and their families, and we can help. Schedule a free consultation so we can hear your story, understand the injuries and damages you have suffered, and go over your legal options.