Bedsores

Atlanta Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers

Bedsores in nursing homes are considered a sign of nursing home neglect, as elder care facilities are required to take certain steps to prevent decubitus ulcers and pressure sores in their residents. For instance, the nursing home staff must rotate its immobile residents at least every two hours to prevent the development of pressures sores. Likewise, they are required to change the protective pads on these individuals, as unclean pads can contribute to skin break down and lead to the development of pressure sores. When the nursing home fails to take these and other measures to prevent bedsores, residents who are injured as a result may have legal recourse. 

Has your loved one developed a bedsore in a nursing home? Find out if you can file a claim for financial compensation by completing our free case review form, offered at no cost by our Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyers. 

Bedsores in Atlanta Nursing Homes

To prevent bedsores in, the nursing home is required to employ a pressure sore prevention program. First, the facility must provide a skin care assessment for each new resident within 14 days of admission to determine what factors may put the patient at risk for decubitus ulcers. Next, in the patient’s care plan, the staff, as well as the resident’s loved ones, will outline specific measures to prevent bed sore development. These measures may include frequent repositioning of the resident, as well as the use of heel boots, pressure relieving mattresses, special nutritional supplements and specialized skin care. Lastly, the facility is required to implement the bedsore prevention measures outlined in the care plan, and note any issues in the resident’s skin condition which would indicate the development of new bedsores. 

Atlanta Nursing Home Neglect Attorneys for Bedsores 

When presented with a case involving a patient who developed bedsores in an elder care facility, our nursing home neglect attorneys will take several steps to determine if the facility was negligent in caring for the resident. We will investigate the frequency of rotation of the patient; the documentation of pressures sores in the resident’s medical chart; and the treatment issued once the pressure sore became apparent. Even if the bedsore was not documented, we may still be able to show that it formed at the nursing home and could have been prevented had the facility and its staff taken certain precautionary measures. To find out if our Atlanta bedsore attorneys can help hold your loved one’s nursing home accountable for their actions, complete our free, no risk case review form today.