Nursing homes and their staff carry a heavy responsibility. After all, they are entrusted with the safety and well-being of some of the most vulnerable amongst us. When negligence occurs in nursing homes, the results can be nothing short of tragic. Victims can be left seriously injured, and in the worst cases they die as a result of the injuries they have suffered.
One common sign of nursing home neglect is the existence of bedsores. These ulcers that are found on the skin typically develop on the bony parts of the body when pressure is applied to them for an extended period of time. In the nursing home context, these wounds are often found when nursing home staff neglect to turn patients in a timely manner.
Although bedsores start at the skin level, prolonged pressure and more developed bedsores can cause more extensive harm that reaches deeper tissues. Wounds can become infected, which can eat away at surrounding tissue and spread to the bones and joints. Some serious bedsores can even develop into a particular type of cancer. In rare instances, sepsis can develop. All of these conditions are serious and require extensive and speedy medical treatment that can be quite costly. Victims can suffer extensive pain and suffering that they may never be able to fully overcome. The effects of bedsores may also further limit the already restricted mobility of some nursing home residents.
Such damages are unexpected and unacceptable. Those who are responsible for the negligent care of nursing home residents need to be held accountable for their actions. Therefore, those who suspect nursing home negligence, perhaps by spotting the signs of a bedsore, may want to speak with an attorney to determine the best course of action in hopes of imposing liability and recovering compensation.