Nursing Home Negligence - Wound Care

Written and edited by our team of expert legal content writers and reviewed and approved by Daniel Harwin

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Nursing homes in Florida owe many duties to their elderly residents. One of the main duties of care is to have licensed and trained medical staff to be on hand at all times to tend to resident injuries and illnesses. Proper wound care is imperative to the health and lives of elderly residents, who are prone to slow healing, chronic wounds, and infections. Improper wound care can lead to many health complications, even death.

If you suspect your loved one’s nursing home did not take proper care of his or her wounds, contact Freedland Harwin Valori Gander, PL. This is a form of negligence that could give the injured party or his/her family members grounds to bring a claim against the nursing facility. A personal injury or wrongful death claim can hold the responsible party accountable and result in reimbursement for medical costs, pain and suffering, and other damages. Get in touch today for a free consultation with one of our experienced and knowledgeable attorneys in Florida.

Signs of Improper Wound Care

Wound care with the elderly requires special protocols and precautions. Older adults are more prone to wound complications such as difficulty healing and serious infections. Thinner, more brittle skin requires special care and consideration for safety and sanitation. At a nursing home, all staff members should have the knowledge and training to properly handle all types of wounds. If a wound or injury is outside of their realm of capabilities, it is the nursing home’s job to take the resident to the hospital for further medical evaluation. Signs that a nursing home has failed to properly care for a senior citizen’s wounds include:

  • Allowing a treatable wound to get worse
  • Failing to adequately care for a chronic wound
  • Bacterial infections and/or sepsis
  • Failing to prevent open bleeding
  • Not debriding dead skin around a wound to facilitate healing
  • Malnourishing residents, reducing their ability to heal
  • Allowing bedsores or pressure ulcers to form from bedrest or immobility
  • Allowing a wound to get too dry or too wet
  • Failing to recommend further medical treatment or hospitalization
  • Allowing unexplained illnesses or premature deaths
  • Failing to regularly change bandages and/or dressing

Lack of appropriate and sanitary wound care can worsen a resident’s health status and lead to death. If a negligent nursing home or one of its staff members made the final months or years of your loved one’s life more painful or sickly than they otherwise would have been, or if your loved one suffered a serious infection or other complication from improper wound care, talk to a lawyer. You could have a case of negligence on your hands that gives your family the right to recover money damages.

Why Trust Freedland Harwin Valori Gander, PL, With Your PI or Wrongful Death Claim

Freedland Harwin Valori Gander, PL, has a wealth of experience handling nursing home abuse and neglect claims in Florida. We’ve secured more than $2 billion in settlements and verdicts for our clients through hard work and passionate litigation. Our team can investigate your elderly loved one’s recent wounds and wound care at a Florida nursing home, let you know if we think you have grounds for a personal injury claim, and help you navigate the laws that protect your loved one’s rights.

If you lost a loved one at a nursing home and believe improper wound care was the cause, we can help you with a wrongful death claim instead. If your loved one suffered from an infection, sepsis, or passed away while in a nursing home setting, talk to our attorneys about the possibility of negligent wound care. You might have grounds to bring a claim against the facility, an individual staff member, a cleaning crew, and/or other parties. We offer free, no-obligation consultations to discuss your case. Call (954) 467-6400 to schedule yours today.

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