How Do You Get Bed Sores?

People develop bed sores from the physical pressure on their bodies that results from spending too much time in one position. A person who has full control of their mobility can simply reposition their body if the pressure of lying on a bed or sitting in a chair causes them discomfort, but for people who may be bed-bound or are otherwise unable to move their body themselves, it isn’t that easy. Nursing home residents who require assistance moving their bodies must be repositioned regularly to minimize the likelihood of developing bed sores. When nursing home personnel neglect to reposition the residents in their care or nursing homes fail to put these procedures in place, residents are at a greater risk of developing pressure ulcers. That’s why even slight concerns over neglect in a nursing home warrant a consultation with our seasoned pressure ulcer injury attorneys in Highland Park, NJ.

How Can Bed Sores Be Prevented in the Elderly?

The most effective way to avoid bed sores in nursing home residents is to proactively reposition bed-bound patients and those who don’t have full movement capability on a regular basis. This effort prevents there from being sufficient pressure on particular areas of the body to damage the skin and the tissues beneath it. In particular, it’s important to reposition the nursing home resident in ways that reduce pressure on the bony body parts that are most susceptible to pressure sores, such as the tailbone, elbows, knees, ankles, and heels. In some cases, changing out the nursing home resident’s bedding for a mattress that relieves pressure more effectively can help patients recover from existing bed sores and reduce the risk of future bed sores. Managing any incontinence and otherwise maintaining good hygiene can also help prevent bed sores. If a resident has any existing bed sores, nursing home personnel should be caring for them appropriately by cleaning and dressing the wound, using topical treatments like barrier creams or antibacterial creams, and making sure the resident receives antibiotics and other medications as prescribed.

How Serious Are Bed Sores?

Bed sores in nursing home residents should always be taken seriously. Not only can they indicate a potential pattern of neglect, but these injuries themselves can have serious repercussions, especially among patients already facing health struggles. A grade 1 bed sore that only affects the most superficial layer of the skin may not pose significant health risks, but at more severe stages, the consequences grow more serious. In a grade 2 pressure ulcer, the patient suffers from partial thickness skin loss that resembles a blister or another type of open wound. Grade 3 bed sores don’t just affect the skin but also damage the tissue beneath it. By the time a pressure ulcer progresses to grade 4, the tissues surrounding the wound are dying, and the bed sore may have even affected muscles, joints, or bones in the vicinity of the wound. Life-threatening infections may develop in bed sores, particularly when these ulcers reach a severe stage.

Do You Need New Jersey Bed Sore Injury Lawyers to Hold Neglectful Nursing Homes Accountable?

Although bed sores can be telltale signs of neglect in nursing homes, it will likely take more than a pressure ulcer to show that the facility and its personnel have failed to provide the duty of care owed to your loved one. That’s where our experienced New Jersey bed sore injury lawyers come in. We’re prepared to conduct a thorough investigation of the treatment your loved one has received and the practices the nursing home follows. If our investigation uncovers neglect in the nursing home, we can use the evidence we gathered in support of a claim for compensation on your family’s behalf. A nursing home neglect claim is a formal legal matter for which you’re going to need a professional to guide you through the litigation process.

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New Jersey Bed Sore Injury Lawyers

Experienced Pressure Ulcer Injury Attorneys in Highland Park, NJ, Hold Nursing Homes Accountable for Neglecting Residents in Mercer County, Middlesex County, Somerset County, and Throughout New Jersey

Ever since you discovered the bed sore on your loved one’s skin while visiting them in the nursing home, you’ve been worried. The pressure ulcer could be a sign of neglect, and you may need to bring in experienced New Jersey bed sore injury lawyers to advocate for your family member.

Bed sores don’t just look painful. If not cared for appropriately, these ulcers can lead to serious and even life-threatening complications. It’s difficult to trust that the nursing home that allowed the bed sore to develop in the first place will treat the ulcer properly to prevent it from getting worse.

The pressure ulcer attorneys at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr assist nursing home residents and their families all over New Jersey. We can investigate the possibility of neglect in your loved one’s nursing home and potentially pursue financial compensation on your family’s behalf.

For a free, confidential consultation, contact us today.

Seek Justice for Your Injury. Contact The Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr for Experienced Representation Today.

Can You Sue for Bed Sores in New Jersey Nursing Homes?

Bed sores in nursing home residents often, although not always, reflect a failure to provide appropriate care. If further investigation reveals neglect in the treatment that nursing home personnel provide residents or the procedures personnel are instructed to follow, you may have grounds for pursuing a nursing home abuse lawsuit.

Regular repositioning is part of the standard of care for bed-bound patients specifically because these actions can help prevent bed sores. Pressure ulcers are much less common among nursing home residents who are repositioned routinely than among those who may be left in one position for many hours at a time. If you’re thinking about suing a nursing home over bed sores or wondering whether the quality of care your loved one is receiving is appropriate, your first step should be to consult our knowledgeable pressure ulcer injury attorneys in Highland Park, NJ.

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Areas Our New Jersey Bed Sore Injury Lawyers Serve

From our office location on Raritan Avenue in Highland Park, our bed sore lawyers serve residents of nursing homes across New Jersey, including:

Hamilton Township, Trenton, Ewing Township, Lawrence Township, Princeton, and the rest of Mercer County
Edison, New Brunswick, Piscataway, and the rest of Middlesex County
Somerset, Franklin Township, Hillsborough Township, Montgomery Township, and the rest of Somerset County

There are more than 350 nursing homes in New Jersey, including 58 in Mercer County, Middlesex County, and Somerset County alone. Only about one in five nursing homes in these three NJ counties has a five-star rating under the Federal Five-Star Quality Rating System, according to current data from the New Jersey Department of Health, while nearly 40% of nursing homes in this area have one-star or two-star ratings.

If your gut instinct is telling you something may be wrong at the nursing home where your loved one has suffered bed sores, it can’t hurt to get a professional’s opinion during a free consultation.

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Bed Sores as a Sign of Neglect in NJ Nursing Homes

Bed sores are also known as pressure ulcers because pressure against the skin due to prolonged sitting or lying in one place is what causes damage to the skin and tissues. Pressure ulcers are predictable consequences of neglect in nursing homes.

A facility that provides care to patients who are bedbound, wheelchair-bound, or have compromised mobility should have procedures in place to prevent bed sores. Examples of the practices nursing homes should put in place to prevent their residents from developing bed sores include:

Regular repositioning of the resident to minimize pressure on any body part for an extended period of time
Routine checking for skin irritations that could progress to bed sores
The use of soft pillows, foam pads, and pressure-relieving mattresses where appropriate
Giving patients who require mobility assistance an opportunity to stand, walk, or get other physical exercise as their health allows

Failing to take steps to prevent bed sores may constitute neglect on the part of the nursing home.

Other forms of neglect besides the failure to reposition residents can also contribute to pressure ulcers in nursing homes. The more vulnerable a person’s skin is to injury, the greater the risk of developing bed sores. Nursing home residents’ skin may be more susceptible to damage and infection if their caretakers are neglecting their personal hygiene or failing to promptly clean up patients who are incontinent. Failing to keep residents clean and dry may also constitute nursing home neglect.

Get the Compensation You Deserve. Let The Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Fight for Your Rights. Call Us Today at 732-537-8570 or Fill Out Our Convenient Online Contact Form For a Free Consultation.

Contact Our New Jersey Bed Sore Injury Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Today for a Free Case Evaluation

Don’t let the nursing home staff downplay the severity of pressure ulcers. Without proper treatment, bed sores can become progressively worse and expose the nursing home resident to risks of serious complications. If you have reason to suspect your loved one has been neglected in a nursing home, it’s time to bring in our New Jersey bed sore injury lawyers.

For help from lawyers who sue for bed sores in Highland Park, NJ, contact the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr online or call 732-537-8570 today. The consultation is completely free, and there’s no upfront cost to move forward with a nursing home neglect claim.

Nursing Home Bed Sores and Pressure Ulcers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

People develop bed sores from the physical pressure on their bodies that results from spending too much time in one position.
A person who has full control of their mobility can simply reposition their body if the pressure of lying on a bed or sitting in a chair causes them discomfort, but for people who may be bed-bound or are otherwise unable to move their body themselves, it isn’t that easy.
Nursing home residents who require assistance moving their bodies must be repositioned regularly to minimize the likelihood of developing bed sores. When nursing home personnel neglect to reposition the residents in their care or nursing homes fail to put these procedures in place, residents are at a greater risk of developing pressure ulcers. That’s why even slight concerns over neglect in a nursing home warrant a consultation with our seasoned pressure ulcer injury attorneys in Highland Park, NJ.
The most effective way to avoid bed sores in nursing home residents is to proactively reposition bed-bound patients and those who don’t have full movement capability on a regular basis.
This effort prevents there from being sufficient pressure on particular areas of the body to damage the skin and the tissues beneath it. In particular, it’s important to reposition the nursing home resident in ways that reduce pressure on the bony body parts that are most susceptible to pressure sores, such as the tailbone, elbows, knees, ankles, and heels.
In some cases, changing out the nursing home resident’s bedding for a mattress that relieves pressure more effectively can help patients recover from existing bed sores and reduce the risk of future bed sores.
Managing any incontinence and otherwise maintaining good hygiene can also help prevent bed sores. If a resident has any existing bed sores, nursing home personnel should be caring for them appropriately by cleaning and dressing the wound, using topical treatments like barrier creams or antibacterial creams, and making sure the resident receives antibiotics and other medications as prescribed.
Bed sores in nursing home residents should always be taken seriously. Not only can they indicate a potential pattern of neglect, but these injuries themselves can have serious repercussions, especially among patients already facing health struggles.
A grade 1 bed sore that only affects the most superficial layer of the skin may not pose significant health risks, but at more severe stages, the consequences grow more serious. In a grade 2 pressure ulcer, the patient suffers from partial thickness skin loss that resembles a blister or another type of open wound. Grade 3 bed sores don’t just affect the skin but also damage the tissue beneath it. By the time a pressure ulcer progresses to grade 4, the tissues surrounding the wound are dying, and the bed sore may have even affected muscles, joints, or bones in the vicinity of the wound.
Life-threatening infections may develop in bed sores, particularly when these ulcers reach a severe stage.
Although bed sores can be telltale signs of neglect in nursing homes, it will likely take more than a pressure ulcer to show that the facility and its personnel have failed to provide the duty of care owed to your loved one. That’s where our experienced New Jersey bed sore injury lawyers come in.
We’re prepared to conduct a thorough investigation of the treatment your loved one has received and the practices the nursing home follows. If our investigation uncovers neglect in the nursing home, we can use the evidence we gathered in support of a claim for compensation on your family’s behalf. A nursing home neglect claim is a formal legal matter for which you’re going to need a professional to guide you through the litigation process.