Failure to Provide Wound Care For Bedsores & Decubitus Ulcers

Our medical negligence lawyers represent patients and nursing home residents who develop bed sores and decubitus ulcers while in a Michigan health care facility. These conditions develop because the nursing home staff failed to take the necessary precautions to avoid the bed sore from developing. Many residents are at high risk for developing bed sores due to a number of circumstances and the nursing staff is required to assess the patient and formulate a care plan to prevent a pressure sore or bed sore.

Bed sores, also called pressure sores or pressure ulcers, are injuries to skin and underlying tissues that result from prolonged pressure on the skin. Bed sores most often develop on skin that covers bony areas of the body, such as the heel, ankles, hips or buttocks. Residents who are at risk of developing bed sores, are those with a medical condition that limits their ability to change positions, requires them to use a wheelchair or confines them to a bed for prolonged periods.  Bed sores can develop quickly and are often difficult to treat. Several care strategies can help prevent some bedsores and promote healing.

Proper evaluation of the skin should be a part of the routine conducted at nursing homes, hospitals, and rehab facilities.  At risk residents is anyone who is confined for a long time to a wheelchair or bed or who has limited ability to reposition himself or herself without assistance.  If a patient develops, a fever, drainage or foul odor from a sore or increased heat and redness in the surrounding skin, immediate medical care should be provided as these are all signs of infections!

Many medical facilities have on-staff wound care nurses or surgeons who specialize in wound care patients.  When a patient has evidence of skin breakdown, it is imperative that a wound care specialist be consulted to promptly assess the patient and initiate a treatment plan.  A failure to provide wound care treatment can have devastating consequences, including leading to sepsis and other conditions than can lead to death.

If you or a family member suffered from a bed sore or pressure ulcer and did not receive  timely or appropriate wound care,  you should contact the law firm of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. immediately. Call us now at (800) 606-1717 to speak with one of our experienced  lawyers about your case. We have significant experience in these types of cases, with a team of award winning attorneys that specialize in nursing home neglect and the development of bed sores in residents. Call today for your free consultation!