Bedsores/Pressure Sores

Pressure Sores and Bedsores

Pressure sores, or bedsores, are often a sign of poor care or neglect. In most cases they are preventable with proper care. Pressure sores are caused when pressure on the skin is constant, causing the skin to break down and leave an open wound. This most often happens when patients are bedridden and there is inadequate attention to moving the patients or positioning them correctly to minimize pressure.

Also known as decubitus ulcers, pressure sores are associated with the elderly in nursing homes and other care facilities because these patients are more likely than other groups to be confined to bed and immobile for long periods of time.

Neglect is the most common cause of bedsores

Pressure sores are caused by ongoing pressure on a specific area of the body, such as the buttocks, heels, elbow and hips. This pressure is usually caused by failure to turn or reposition the patient in bed or move them from their wheelchair at regular intervals. Other circumstances can hasten the development of sores and make them difficult to heal. Poor hygiene, poor nutrition and hydration and failure to provide basic wound care can lead to a serious infection, called sepsis, and even death. Sores can become so large that surgery is needed to remove dead tissue. Patients in this condition may be too weak to survive surgery.

Nursing home deaths are often caused by ulcers and sores

Many people die in nursing homes each year not because of their presenting condition, such as cancer or Alzheimer’s, but because of untreated and infected bedsores. Taking legal action can help other people by sending a message to the nursing home. Let them know that the type of care that allows bedsores to develop and become infected does not go unnoticed.

Contact a lawyer with the legal knowledge and nursing experience to help

At the Seattle law office of Catherine S. Strong, I have the nursing experience and legal knowledge to set things right for your loved one. I am able to review medical records quickly and evaluate the care that was provided. We can file a complaint against the care facility, seeking compensation and damages. This will allow your loved one to have the resources to enter another facility or receive in-home care. It will also let the institution know that substandard care and pressure sores are not acceptable.

Contact my Seattle office to discuss your situation. I am here to help you take the legal steps needed to obtain proper care.