Intentional Burns Can Cause Infection and Death

Nursing home abusers may uses matches and other items that cause flame and burns to burn residents when they act out or when they want to punish them and exert control over them.  This is one of the most sinister forms of nursing home abuse because it involves knowingly and intentionally harming a resident using an outside device.  Matches and lighters may be held against the skin to cause burns and pain to residents who are not cooperating with staff members or who do not want to perform specific actions.  Nursing home abusers use this type of abuse to exert their control over residents and may enjoy exchanging the safety of the resident for something they want.  For example, the abuser who wants money or property may tell the resident that the burning will stop when the resident parts with money, jewelry, bond certificates, and other items of value.  Burning with matches and lighters can be dangerous because residents of nursing homes often have a reduced ability to repair their body tissues.  Burns that don’t heal can become infected just like cuts and open sores on the body.  When a burn like that is infected, it needs to be treated immediately.  If it is not treated immediately, infection could spread to other areas of the body and cause a resident to experience serious illness.  Without further treatment, the infection will become dominant and the resident will die because the immune system will not be able to fight infection any longer.  If your loved one has suffered this horrible abuse, contact an Orange County nursing home abuse lawyer to find out how to remedy the situation and hold the nursing home responsible.