Philadelphia Bed Sore Injury Lawyer
Bedsores are remarkably painful; people with limited mobility and restricting medical conditions often develop them. For example, spending a long time in a bed or wheelchair can lead to these lesions. They also tend to target areas like the elbows, knees, and back.
While hospital and nursing home patients are at a higher risk of bed sores, these injuries are completely preventable with a staff committed to providing timely, quality care. Unfortunately, health specialists can make mistakes – and sadly, sometimes people are simply negligent. When this happens, you do have legal options in Philadelphia.
Personal Injury and Bed Sores: National Precedence
Nurses and doctors are trusted with caring for extremely vulnerable patients. Though seniors do have weaker skin and other vulnerabilities, this is no excuse for failing to provide quality care and prevent bedsores. If left untreated, these injuries can get infected – and they can be life-threatening.
Bedsores can develop without neglect – approximately 10% of nursing home patients have had one, so they are relatively common. They should be caught in their earliest stages, however, and corrected without needless pain and suffering. When nurses fail to handle these ulcers and they intensify, speak with a Philadelphia nursing home negligence attorney as soon as possible.
Safeguarding Your Loved Ones
If you have a parent or family member in a nursing home who has limited abilities, speak with the staff about how they care for their patients and prevent bedsores. Do not hesitate to ask questions and ensure the nursing home or hospital resident has all the provisions the patient needs. When you come back for visits, go through the following steps to check for any problems:
- Communicate: Start by asking how your loved one is feeling. This may be difficult depending on his or her condition, but you can also monitor his or her body language and note any signs of discomfort. Also, check in with the hospital staff. Nurses should be ready and willing to give you an update on the patient’s condition and the routine they follow when turning or moving their charges.
- Inspect: Sometimes, elderly patients cannot speak for themselves or indicate neglect. If you care for someone suffering from these conditions, look for ulcers and any redness.
- Double check: Whenever you visit, be thorough when you check for bedsores and other problems. Speak with medical staff, and watch how they handle other patients. This is an excellent indication of how the staff treats your family members when you leave.
Patients who have recently lost weight are also more vulnerable to these sores, so ask for an update whenever you check-in. If your loved one has lost weight, be aware of this increased risk – and ask the nursing home if they are staying vigilant.
Work with a Tireless Personal Injury Attorney in Pennsylvania
A bedsore personal injury claim can help you recover damages caused by negligence. Treating these wounds can cost thousands of dollars and extensive pain and suffering – and medical staff should do everything possible to ensure they are never a problem. Whether a nursing home is insufficiently staffed or simply too busy, this is not an experience a loved one should ever go through.
Bedsores develop quickly, and most doctors and nurses do take great care to report and treat them. When a nursing home or hospital fails to meet this responsibility, it can have dire consequences. It may even go unreported, or they could move the patient to another facility in an attempt to avoid liability. If any of these situations has become a reality for your family, get in touch with a qualified Philadelphia injury lawyer today. The attorneys at Ciccarelli Law Offices are standing by to field your questions, and we are ready to take your claim to court if needed.