This is my third post in “infection malpractice week” and today’s post is very important because it involves nursing home malpractice regarding infections. This post is also applicable to other adult homes, assisted living, and hospice care facilities as well. As a Minneapolis – St. Paul medical malpractice lawyer, I know that infections at these types of facilities can be very dangerous and usually fatal. Many times infections are caused by pressure sores or pressure ulcer which are “never events.” Other times infections are caused by neglect of a facility.
Nursing home infections can occur in a variety of different ways. The most likely to be due to medical malpractice or nursing home error is from a pressure sore or pressure ulcer. This is an injury caused from the friction and pressure of the bed against a person’s body. The constant pressure can actually cause damage to a person’s tissue which results in pain, swelling, and a deterioration. This will result in an injury which opens up, known as a pressure ulcer. It is very common for pressure ulcers to become infected which becomes very difficult to treat.
Pressure sores are classified as “never events,” meaning that they should never happen in the presence of quality and proper medical care and treatment. This means that infections caused by them should also never occur. A victim of an undiagnosed nursing home infection caused by a pressure ulcer has a strong cause against the nursing home providers for Minnesota medical malpractice.
In addition to pressure sores, another common way that nursing home infections are caused and become dangerous is through neglect. This neglect could be for a variety of reasons, which include failing to properly treat a resident’s wounds, failing to properly clean or bathe a resident, performing medical procedures (like an injection) with improper sterilization protocol, and other causes.
A nursing home differs than other facilities because it can perform the basic and normal medical care and treatment that an adult home, assisted living, or other home healthcare aide cannot do. Nursing homes are meant to be more fundamentally better at treating a patient. Many of the patients in nursing homes are vulnerable to infections, and when an infection occurs in a nursing home due to medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, or nursing home mistake, it is important for a victim to consult with a lawyer.
If you or a loved one have been injured due to the medical malpractice of a healthcare provider such as a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other health care service professional, call Kuhlman Law, LLC for a FREE consultation by dialing (612) 444-3374 to learn what your rights to compensation may be. If we accept your case, we will conduct a thorough review of your case and advise you whether there may have been a serious medical mistake causing your injury. There is no risk, and you do not owe us money unless we win your case.