Miami Personal Injury Lawyer for Bedsores and Nursing Home Negligence

The Personal Injury staff of the Perazzo Law Firm understand how vulnerable the elderly are when relying on the care of nursing home staff and operators. The elderly may sometimes be mentally and physically unable to cope or respond appropriately to physical neglect and may not be able to fend for themselves when confronting situations that include wrongdoing, either accidental or intentional.

CONTACT THE PERAZZO LAW FIRM IMMEDIATELY IF YOU SUSPECT AN ELDERLY LOVED-ONE IS BEING MISTREATED OR CARED-FOR WITH NEGLIGENCE.

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Everything from bedbugs to bedsores must be contemplated by the loved-ones of residents of nursing homes, retirement homes or rehabilitation centers, or mental institutions. Many elderly residents of nursing homes may have difficulty moving and must rely on staff members or nurses to provide the proper mobility to prevent or treat bedsores.

The Perazzo Law Firm provides insight into bedsores and how they can negatively effect the quality of life for a nursing home resident. In Miami, our dedicated staff of personal injury attorneys aims to shed light on how bedsores can be prevented and what to do if negligent nursing home staff has caused bedsores to cause an elderly loved-one pain and suffering.

Bedsores are injuries (ulcers) to the skin and the underlying tissue that are caused by extended pressure on a person's skin. Those individuals, such as the elderly with limited ability to change positions while bed-stricken, are most at risk of developing bedsores, which can develop on the lower parts of the foot, lower parts of the leg, hips and most common, the tailbone due to constant sitting or lying down face-up. Bedsores in the elderly or sick can arise quickly and treating bedsores can be an arduous, futile task if not properly attended to by cleansing and dressing the bedsore. Relieving pressure from the affected area is fundamental and changing positions is an important part of recovery. Among the elderly, bedsores can be very painful and lead to other ailments which can greatly deteriorate an elderly person's quality of life as they can lead to depression as well as more serious physical conditions if left untreated. Individuals that suffer from diabetes, problems with blood circulation, or possess unhealthy diets are more likely to develop bedsores. That is why the Perazzo Law Firm advises the loved-ones of elderly people in nursing homes to make sure they are receiving the proper care needed to avoid and treat bedsores in nursing homes. Unattended to bedsores in nursing homes or rehabilitation centers can lead to infection and extend into the nursing home resident's or patients bone or muscles. Once this happens, healing a bedsore may be extremely difficult and slow healing as the skin has died and infection may be deep into the person's body. This negligence by a nursing home staff can merit an insurance claim for compensation through an insurance claim, especially if surgery is needed to help cure the bedsore. Pain and suffering by a nursing home resident deserves to be addressed by a professional personal injury lawyer. In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm staff is ready to help the family members of their elderly loved-one get the compensation they deserve for pain and suffering brought on by negligent nursing home staff and operators.

Bedsores are caused by reduced blood circulation to a certain part of the body, such as ankles, hips, and buttocks. Cutting off blood supply for several hours a day (2-3) can lead to the development of bedsores, which are in fact ulcers. The loss of blood circulation to a certain part of the body, can cause the skin to dry up and die. When this happens, the area of the body developing a bedsore may turn purple and if left unattended to properly, the skin may crack and become infected. The elderly in nursing homes are likely targets to bedsores as many elderly residents of nursing homes depend on nursing home staff to move them and change bodily position while bed-stricken or confined to a wheelchair.

A bedsore will develop on the part of a person's body which is limited to movement and receives applied pressure. These may include:

To avoid the development of bedsores in nursing home residents, the nursing home staff must check for early signs of a bedsore and make sure a bed or wheelchair stricken person is moved from time to time, at least twice or three times a day.

Bedsores affecting elderly or ill-stricken residents of nursing homes may be detected early and bedsores have several stages (4).

The affected area, may start off red and tender or warm upon being touched. Early bedsores may itch, hurt, or feel warm. They may appear purple or white on people with darker complexions. If early sign of bedsores go undetected, the affected areas may turn into an open wound or blister like bruise. Discoloring may ensue as well as with enhanced pain. The third stage of an unattended to bedsore in elderly people or those bed-stricken, immobile, or unconscious, may include crater-like conditions and injury below the skin's primary surface. The final and most severe stage includes damage to muscles or bones which results in pain, discomfort, and infection which will require treatment through medication.

An elderly person in a nursing home or rehabilitation center that suffers from limited mobility, unconsciousness or are impervious to sensation may develop bedsores. Inspecting the body parts listed above are highly recommended and required by healthcare providers in nursing home or rehabs. After a healthcare worker or nursing home staff member detects a bedsore, depending on the stage of the bedsore, treatment can include:

Nursing home staff or healthcare professionals responsible for the well-being of nursing home residents or rehabilitation center patients are required to treat bedsores accordingly and negligence in detecting or treating bedsores can lead to insurance claim for compensation on behalf of the victim or family members. Bedsores that are left untreated can lead to severe health conditions such as:

The best way to treat bedsores is by preventing them. In order to prevent bedsores, nursing home residents and patients should be moved from time to time or re-positioned in beds at least six times during the waking day. Those in wheelchairs should be placed upright at least three or four times an hour. Cushioned support to areas that receive little movement or are exposed to extended pressure. Moisturizing skin areas that are dry and keeping the skin clean are fundamental, as well as a healthy diet that includes an adequate amount of calories, mineral, vitamins, and liquids.