Nursing Home Injuries Attorney Port St. Lucie FL
Nursing Home Injury Attorney
The thought that somebody you care about could be suffering abuse at the hands of a facility that you trusted can be quite disheartening. However, nursing home neglect and abuse are a reality. Injuries associated with nursing home abuse are of several types including:
Spinal Injuries
Spinal injuries can occur in nursing homes when residents are dropped while being transferred from their bed to a wheelchair or from a fall in case the resident is not monitored while he or she walks around the facility.
Fractures and Falls
Residents of nursing homes that are able to walk are at the risk of falls due to improper monitoring or medical conditions. Debris left in the hall of a nursing home that’s understaffed can led to falls, as can wet floors. Falls for the elderly usually lead to a fracture of the hip, wrist, or even the spine.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
A Traumatic Brain Injury is usually diagnosed when a resident strikes his or her head in a fall. The symptoms of the TNI include slurred speech, confusion, decreased levels of consciousness, and potentially a coma or even death.
Broken Bones
Broken bones usually occur when a resident of a nursing home falls. The bones usually affected are in the spine, hip, or wrist. Broken wrist bones are more likely if the resident attempts to break the fall. It is important to realize that broken bones usually don’t heal as quickly for the elderly and usually result in long-term weakness and pain.
Bedsores
Bedsores usually form when there’s unrelieved pressure on a bone. In case the pressure is not relieved, it can limit blood flow to the skin as well as the surrounding tissue, which can result in the starvation and eventual death of the muscle in the surrounding area. What might start out as a single point of irritation can get so deep that there’s damage to the muscle, bone, and possibly even the joint and tendons.
Infection
Elderly residents of nursing homes can acquire infections due to the poor cleaning practices in food preparation areas, showers, and nursing home restrooms. Residents of nursing homes also need help with personal tasks such as using the restroom, changing clothes, changing their bandages, or having their diapers changed. Poor hygiene quickly affects the immune system of nursing home residents.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse is a widespread problem in nursing homes. Seniors often experience physical abuse by members of staff as well as fellow patients. The signs and symptoms of physical abuse in nursing homes include:
- Bloody clothing
- Unexplained genital infections, anal bleeding or vaginal bleeding
- Burns, fractures, sprains, cuts, and bruises
- Loss of possessions
- Withdrawal from family and friends
- Staff failing to let you be alone with the resident
We are dedicated to the eradication of nursing home abuse. If you or a loved one has been injured due to the conditions in a nursing home, our lawyers are ready to hold the facility responsible for its role in the abuse. Once you have reported the suspected neglect or abuse to local law enforcement officials, you should contact us to discuss this matter.