10 Jan What to Do If a Loved One in a Care Facility Has Untreated Bedsores
It is often difficult enough to have a loved one in a care facility but when you suspect abuse or neglect, it’s all the harder. You would like to have them at home with you, but you just can’t manage their care. Sometimes patients with mobility problems or those suffering from late stages of Alzheimer’s disease are beyond your personal physical limitations.
You thought they would be best served in a residential senior facility with round-the-clock nurses and caregivers. At least, that’s what you thought. Now you are beginning to wonder, and those bedsores maybe a telltale sign that your loved one is being neglected. Once you can confirm that they are not being repositioned in bed as often as possible, or even suspect it, it’s time to act. But what can you do? This is the dilemma you are facing.
Once Your Suspicions Are Validated
There are actually two things you need to do the moment you realize your loved one is being neglected and given inferior care. The first would be to find alternative placement for them and get them moved as soon as possible. The second would be contacting an attorney to file a lawsuit against that facility. You can contact the bedsore attorneys at Romanucci & Blandin, for example, because they can get the ball rolling on that lawsuit while also advising you on whether or not to file a claim against that care home’s insurance company. They must have liability insurance that should cover much, if not all, of what they are being sued for. Included in your suit would most definitely be the extra cost of getting them safely transported and moved into another senior residence.
Why Bedsores Matter That Much
Here is the thing. While you know that bedsores if left untended can be quite painful, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Did you know that bedsores can result in a serious infection that can, if left untreated, be lethal? You placed your aging relative in a nursing-type residence to get them the care you were unable to give. This is what you are paying for but even that is small in comparison to what those bedsores mean in terms of their life.
Four Stages of Bedsores to Be Aware Of
You know that bedsores may be the result of being left in the same position for hours on end without being turned or moved. What you probably aren’t aware of is that there are four stages of bedsores, progressively life-threatening as they advance. They include:
- At first the skin is red, accompanied by a change in temperature of the skin.
- An ulcer that may resemble a blister.
- The ulcer gets deeper, and you may even see fat just under the innermost layer of skin.
- Open wounds deep enough that you can even see bone, muscles and connective tissues.
Does that sound severe? It can be. Once they get infected, treatment with antibiotics may or may not yield results. Don’t lose a loved one to neglect. Legal help is out there, but first get that patient moved to a facility that will give them the care they deserve.
MedicalResearch.com Editors’ note: Note all bedsores are due to neglect. Other factors including overall disability, immobility, stroke, malnutrition etc. may contribute or cause skin breakdown and ulcer formation.
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