If a nursing home does not take appropriate measures to prevent, recognize, and treat infections, this could reflect negligent care practices and increase the risk of infections that may progress to sepsis.
For those who are concerned about what causes sepsis and if a nursing home’s negligence may have contributed to a family member’s sepsis, it may be beneficial to pursue legal guidance and support.
An Atlanta nursing home sepsis lawyer can provide insights into what causes sepsis in elderly people and other topics that relate to the specifics of your case.
Once your attorney reviews your nursing home sepsis case, they can advise you on whether you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the facility that may have acted negligently.
How Negligence Can Lead to Sepsis in a Nursing Home
Sometimes, nursing home staff are careless or reckless. If your family member resides in a nursing home, and staff at the facility ignore proper safety precautions, they may act negligently, which could cause an infection that may progress to sepsis.
Below are some of the ways that nursing home negligence may contribute to your loved one’s sepsis:
- Neglecting bedsores: If your family member is immobile, they may need to be turned every few hours. However, if the staff at their assisted living facility ignore their duty of care to your loved one, they may be susceptible to pressure ulcers that could become infected and, in severe cases, lead to sepsis.
- Poor hygiene and infection control: It’s reasonable to expect staff at a care facility to change soiled linens, clean residents, and manage catheters correctly. Yet, if staff at your family member’s care facility choose not to do things or do them incorrectly, your loved one could suffer an infection that results in sepsis.
- Delayed medical attention: Unfortunately, there are times when nursing home staff are overworked or undertrained. If your family member shows signs of an infection, and nursing home staff don’t recognize them or notify a physician, your loved one may have to deal with the consequences of sepsis.
If you’re unsure about whether nursing home negligence may have contributed to your loved one’s sepsis, now may be the time to ask for legal guidance and support.
Talk with an Atlanta nursing home abuse lawyer, and they can evaluate your case. From here, your attorney may discuss potential legal options, including settlement or litigation.
What to Do if You Believe That Nursing Home Negligence Contributed to Your Family Member’s Sepsis
Leave nothing to chance if you are concerned that the negligence of nursing home staff may have contributed to your family member’s sepsis.
Here are things you can do to help your loved one and start the process of building a case against any parties that may be liable for harming them:
- Seek medical attention. Call emergency services or have your loved one transported to a hospital immediately. This can help your loved one receive medical care, which may prevent their sepsis from getting worse.
- Move your loved one to a new facility. If you feel your loved one’s current nursing home is unsafe, move them to a different facility.
- Formally report your concerns. Notify the nursing home administrator in writing about your concerns about possible negligence that may have led to your family member’s sepsis. Depending on the situation, you may want to report neglect or abuse of your loved one to law enforcement.
- Document everything. Gather your loved one’s medical records and other documentation highlighting the severity of their sepsis. If you have relevant proof of your loved one’s sepsis from a urinary tract infection (UTI) or another type of infection, you may be able to recover compensation from the nursing home that may be responsible.
Outside of these things, having a sepsis lawyer who has received many positive client reviews on your side can make a difference for you and your loved one. Your attorney may encourage continued medical treatment and coordination of care for your loved one’s sepsis.
Meanwhile, they could help you obtain compensation from any liable parties through a claim or lawsuit.
How Much Money Can You Get if a Nursing Home Is Negligent and Causes Sepsis?
You may wonder about the compensation available if your family member is coping with the symptoms of sepsis from a UTI in elderly individuals due to a nursing home’s negligence.
Ultimately, your lawyer may help you request economic and non–economic damages on behalf of your loved one, including:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Relocation costs if you decide to move your loved one to a new nursing home
- Long-term care costs
- Burial and funeral expenses if your loved one’s sepsis is fatal
Who you choose as your legal representation may dictate your case outcome. By partnering with a nursing home abuse attorney who has experience helping those who have been diagnosed with sepsis or septic shock, you may be able to collect evidence and take other measures to prove that your compensation request is warranted.
The Bottom Line on When Nursing Home Negligence Can Contribute to Sepsis
Nursing home negligence may contribute to sepsis, which can have long-lasting implications for a resident and their family. If your family member has been diagnosed with sepsis that may have occurred due to the negligence of nursing home staff, you could have a case for pursuing compensation for the harm that they have suffered.
At Schenk Nursing Home Abuse Law, nursing home abuse and neglect law is all we do. We have years of experience assisting clients in nursing home abuse and neglect cases. Allow us to examine your nursing home sepsis case and explain your legal options in depth.
Don’t wait any longer to hold a nursing home accountable if the facility’s staff was negligent and may have caused your family member’s sepsis. Contact us today to learn how we may be able to help you with your case.