Pennsylvania Attorneys Fighting Nursing Home Neglect
Providing nutritious food, eating assistance or supervision when needed, and adequate fluids to maintain health seem like minimal expectations in the care of an elderly person. Repositioning of a bedridden man or woman frequently enough to prevent bedsores is a care procedure we might believe we can take for granted.
Unfortunately, malnutrition, dehydration and bedsores are all relatively common conditions in some nursing homes. All can contribute to an almost unimaginably painful decline and even wrongful death. If you believe that this type of negligence has harmed you or a nursing home resident you care about, please contact our attorneys today. From our offices in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, we investigate and pursue serious cases across our state.
Malnutrition and Dehydration Are Too Common, and Extremely Dangerous
Although statistics vary according to the study and sample size, some estimates have indicated up to 80 percent, or more, of nursing home residents suffer some degree of malnutrition. What cannot be disputed is that malnutrition makes a person much more susceptible to a wide range of serious health problems ranging from infections and pneumonia to bone fractures. Should a malnourished or dehydrated elder require surgery, his or her survival chances may be radically decreased. In many cases, malnutrition can be the primary cause, or a contributing factor to a resident's death.
Bedsores Can Lead to Deadly Infections
Bedsores are more than a rash. Also called skin ulcers, pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, bedsores can be caused by a combination of poor nutrition, inadequate hygiene and skin care, and being left in the same position for extended periods. Left untreated and allowed to progress, bedsores can lead to severe infection and death.
Turn to Experienced, Determined Elder Care Lawyers for the Help You Need
At Boyle, Autry & Murphy, we are resourceful and relentless in the type of nursing home investigations that can be critical to building your case. Our attorneys will take fast, decisive action in the effort to determine what happened and whether legal action has a good chance of success.
As with other personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice cases, the ability to obtain compensation in a situation involving malnutrition, dehydration or bedsores will typically rest on your lawyer's ability to prove negligence and establish liability. When you need to talk with an empathetic lawyer about a suspected case of nursing home negligence or abuse, we encourage you to contact us.
