Elderly individuals often entrust a nursing home to take care of them, provide them with daily necessities as well as proper medical treatment. Unfortunately, many nursing homes fail to uphold their promises and cause their residents to become victims of elder abuse.

Our elder abuse lawyers understand the dangers of elder abuse and are here to provide you with information that can help you discover elder abuse. One type of elder abuse that causes serious health risks is neglect as it can lead to bedsores.

Bedsores are a painful pressure ulcer that can occur on any part of the body, especially around areas such as elbows, knees, ankles and sacrum/tailbone. Especially common in patients that are bedridden or confined to wheelchairs, bedsores can occur and spread quickly, but if caught early on, they are easy to treat.

Typical causes of bedsores include:

• Unrelieved pressure
• Friction between bed/skin
• Humidity/temperature
• Shearing forces

Our Elder Abuse Attorneys know that the easiest way to prevent bedsores from occurring is to ensure that the elderly resident receives the proper bedsore care and does not stay in one position for a long period of time; turning the patient at least every two hours will help avoid bedsores from forming or getting worse.

On top of this, it is the nursing homes obligation to provide the patient with a clean and sanitary room and ensure that excess moisture from incontinence, perspiration or fluids from other lesions are taken care of immediately. Moisture can aggravate current bedsores or cause new ones to form. If left untreated, bedsores will turn into open wounds, become infected and can lead to death. A California Elder Abuse Attorney will be able to provide you more information regarding elder abuse laws that may help take your case to court.

It is imperative that if you notice any sign of bedsores, that you contact the nursing home staff doctors or nurses. If the bedsore does not improve, contact the local police department for immediate medical attention.

Speak with an experienced and knowledgeable California Elder Abuse Attorney today to find out more information on how we can help the victim.

Posted by Michael Young at 2:26 PM | Permalink

A Sacramento jury awarded the daughter of Frances Tanner the largest amount of punitive damages in the county's history. Tanner's death was contributed to a pressure sore that occurred after a hip fracture that was undiagnosed. Colonial Healthcare of Auburn has been cited three previous times for their contributions in deaths of elderly patients. While the parent company of Colonial plans to dispute the verdict, the award stands as the largest one in Sacramento's history. Nursing home abuse in California is unforgiveable. Prying on the elderly or neglecting them when loved ones have entrusted them to a facility's care is simply detestable. There is little money that could satisfy a grieving child who has lost a parent untimely do to someone else's neglect or abuse. If you or someone you know has been the victim of California elder abuse you need to hire an attorney. You could be entitled to compensation for your loss. Call our team of California nursing home abuse lawyers today for a free consultation.

Posted by Michael Young at 2:12 PM | Permalink