Hyde Park Nursing Home Patient Bedsore Injury Attorney

Lawyer Holds Nursing Homes Accountable for Poor Care in Chicago and Cook County

Placing a loved one in a nursing home is often a difficult decision, but it can be necessary to ensure that an elderly family member is properly cared for at all times. Unfortunately, many nursing homes do not provide the level of care that residents and their family members expect, and this can lead to personal injuries or wrongful deaths. Bedsores are one of the most serious injuries that can result from nursing home negligence, and they can threaten a person's health and well-being while also risking their life.

If your loved one has been injured by nursing home neglect or abuse, you should speak to an attorney to learn about your legal options. At the Kadzai Law Group, LLC, we work with families to establish liability for a nursing home injury, and we can help you hold a facility responsible for injuries that occurred because of the negligence of its staff members. With more than 10 years of experience, Attorney David Kadzai knows what it takes to protect your family's rights and achieve justice for your loved one's injuries.

How Serious Are Bedsores?

Nursing home patients may experience mobility issues that require them to remain in bed for a long period of time, or they may only be able to move when using a wheelchair. When a person stays in the same position for an extended time, this can put constant pressure on different parts of their bodies, such as the ankles, heels, hips, buttocks, shoulder blades, or back, cutting off blood flow and causing sores to develop. Nursing home staff members should provide regular assistance to these patients and help them adjust their position to ensure proper blood flow to all parts of the body. Failure to do so may be considered neglect, and a nursing home may be responsible for the bedsores that develop as a result.

Bedsores, which are also known as pressure sores or pressure ulcers, will develop in the following stages:

• Stage I bedsores - At this point, sores will only affect the top layer of the skin, causing pain and itchiness. In these cases, bedsores can be addressed by moving the patient and relieving pressure on the affected part of the body, and they will usually heal within a few days.
• Stage II bedsores - At this stage, sores can affect multiple layers of the skin, and they may take the form of open wounds or blisters. These wounds should be cleaned and bandaged, and they may take several weeks to fully heal.
• Stage III bedsores - Pressure ulcers that are left untreated may penetrate through the skin and affect the tissue underneath it. In these cases, infections are common, and a patient may need to receive antibiotics and have dead skin or tissue removed. These sores can take several months to heal.
• Stage IV bedsores - At the final stage, bedsores result in the exposure of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones, all of which can suffer serious damage. Skin and tissue around a wound will often die after becoming infected, and a patient may require surgery. These wounds may take multiple years to heal.

Bedsores may be just one symptom of nursing home neglect or abuse, and a patient may also experience issues such as dehydration, malnutrition, failure to provide proper exercise, medication errors, or improper physical or chemical restraints. When combined with other injuries, infections, and issues that affect a resident's health, bedsores can result in long-lasting harm, or they may even be a factor in a person's wrongful death.

Contact a Dolton Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer

If your loved one has experienced bedsores or other injuries while at a nursing home, Attorney David Kadzai can help you determine who was responsible, and he will work with your family to pursue financial compensation. To schedule a free consultation, contact us today at 312-229-0050. You will not owe us legal fees unless we recover compensation for you. We represent clients throughout South Chicago and Cook County, including Calumet Heights, Robbins, Hyde Park, Dixmoor, Riverdale, Merrionette Park, Burnham, Oak Lawn, Dolton, Bedford Park, Calumet City, Jackson Park, Evergreen Park, Burbank, and Harvey.