Louisiana Nursing Home Neglect: Bedsores

May 11, 2021 General

Louisiana Nursing Home Neglect: Bedsores

If someone you love has been experiencing neglect (or abuse) at a nursing home or care facility here in Louisiana, it is imperative that you seek counsel from experienced Louisiana nursing home neglect/abuse attorneys. Proven nursing home neglect lawyers will fight for you and your loved ones, work to immediately stop the neglect, and seek to obtain money damages as compensation. You and your loved ones have legal rights here in Louisiana.

Bedsores are one of the most common indicators of nursing home neglect. If you discover that your loved one has bedsores, seek medical attention first and then seek legal advice and counsel. Bedsores are a known risk for nursing care residents who are often confined to a bed or a wheelchair. In and of themselves, bedsores are medically dangerous and quite painful. But, if left untreated, they can also lead to more serious complications like certain types of cell cancers, joint and/or bone infections, bodily sepsis, gangrene, and cellulitis (which can lead to meningitis). Surgeries and other invasive medical procedures are often required if bedsores are neglected and the sores move beyond stage I. Under extreme circumstances of neglect, bedsores can lead to fatal complications.

Bedsores occur because bedridden or wheelchair-bound patients cannot move easily and, as such, skin in various areas of their body remain in close and constant contact with sheets, mattresses, railings, pillows, chair padding and arms. To avoid bedsores, patients should be moved and turned by facility nurses and attendants at frequent intervals — every couple of hours at least. When a nursing facility fails to turn and shift patients and fails to otherwise mitigate the risk of bedsores and bedsores occur, that is a classic example of nursing home neglect.

If you are concerned about possible nursing home neglect/abuse, when you visit your loved one or loved ones at the nursing care facility, there are some typical skin areas to check for bedsores. As noted, these are areas where skin and near-surface bones remain in constant contact with some surface. The areas to examine include:

  • Back of the head
  • Neck
  • Hips
  • Buttock
  • Back particularly near the shoulders
  • Elbows
  • Ankles
  • Heels

Legally speaking, bedsores are more likely to demonstrate nursing home neglect as opposed to nursing home abuse. Neglect is generally a legal doctrine that punishes failure to take action whereas abuse occurs when there is direct action that causes injury or harm. But, under either legal doctrine, nursing homes can be held liable under Louisiana law. Nursing and care facilities have a duty to ensure that their patients are not neglected and are not actively abused. Any breach of that duty — such as allowing patients to develop bedsores — results in legal liability. Victims who have suffered from neglect or abuse can recover money damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, emotional injuries, and more.

Our Attorneys Can Help

If your loved one has developed bedsores at a care facility, contact the dedicated nursing home neglect lawyers at Mansfield, Melancon, Cranmer & Dick LLC. We have a proven track record of success with many types of Louisiana personal injury cases. Contact us by calling one of our offices: New Orleans at (504) 500-1108, Baton Rouge at (225) 612-0800, or Lafayette at (337) 409-0003. You can also request a free consultation by using our “Contact Us” page.