When you entrust a nursing home with an elderly family member’s care, you expect that the staff of the facility will care for them properly. Unfortunately, in some nursing homes, staff members neglect residents and cause serious harm.
Bedsores are a common injury in elderly care facilities, often resulting from a lack of attention to a resident’s health and living conditions. If your loved one developed bedsores in Iberville Parish nursing homes, legal action against the facility may be necessary to ensure their recovery. An attorney from Tomeny | Best could help you pursue a claim on behalf of an injured resident.
How Bedsores Develop in Nursing Homes
Many nursing home residents are largely immobile and either confined to bed or seated for most of the day. This lack of movement can lead to bedsores—also known as pressure ulcers—which typically develop in areas where the body presses against a surface, especially around the bones and joints. Nursing home workers in Iberville Parish may not be helping residents move as much as they can, or—if a resident is bedbound—they may not be repositioning residents to help shift their weight as often as needed to prevent bedsores.
Preventing bedsores can also involve using specialized cushions, mattresses, and wheelchairs designed to relieve pressure. Nursing home staff should routinely monitor your loved one’s health and check for early signs of bedsores—especially in residents with limited mobility. Common areas to inspect include the tailbone, lower back, and the backs of the arms and legs.
When a nursing home fails to prevent or properly treat bedsores, the consequences can be severe, including infection, sepsis, and even death. If your relative develops bedsores that are left untreated, they may need to be moved to a hospital or a different facility.
The physical, emotional, and financial toll of nursing home neglect can be overwhelming. If you and your family are dealing with the aftermath of a loved one’s preventable bedsores, consider speaking with a lawyer from Tomeny | Best to explore your options for compensation.
Filing a Compensation Claim Against a Nursing Home
If you decide to file a claim against a senior care facility in Plaquemine, it will likely be based on the facility’s negligence in preventing pressure ulcers, meaning that the staff’s actions (or inactions) caused your family member’s injuries and legal damages.
For compensation purposes, legal damages are categorized, and you may be entitled to both special and general damages. Special damages cover the economic costs of an injury, such as medical expenses and the cost of transferring your loved one to another facility. General damages account for the non-economic effects, including pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or loss of a relationship (if the injured person passes away).
Your claim can include both types of damages, provided that you can present the necessary evidence in court. Additionally, if the facility’s behavior was especially egregious, you may be eligible for punitive damages, but you should be aware that these are designed to punish and deter such behavior rather than to compensate for your family member’s injuries.
Understanding your damages is the first step to filing your claim. An attorney could help assess what compensation you might expect and assist in gathering evidence to build your case against the nursing home.
Get Legal Help for Bedsore Claims Against Senior Care Facilities in Plaquemine
You should feel confident in knowing that your loved one is being properly cared for in a nursing home. If they suffer from bedsores due to neglect, you have the right to take action. Caring for elderly residents demands a high level of responsibility and dedication—one that all nursing homes should uphold.
At Tomeny | Best, our attorneys know how to handle claims for bedsores in Iberville Parish nursing homes. Contact our office today for a free consultation.
