An elderly person who suffers lacerations or bruises while residing in a nursing home should reach out to a nursing home abuse lawyer for assistance. Nursing homes are expected to provide competent and compassionate care. Unfortunately, too many elderly residents have suffered lacerations and bruises due to abuse. A nursing home abuse lawyer can help your family when a resident suffers preventable injuries at a nursing home.
Nursing Home Skin Injuries
Skin changes in the elderly can make them more susceptible to skin injuries, including lacerations and bruises. As people age, the skin becomes thinner and the protective fatty layer that cushions blood vessels from injury is diminished. As a result, trauma to the resident’s skin, especially on the arms or legs, can result in injury.
Bruises form when small blood vessels near the surface of the skin are broken from trauma. Blood leaks out of the vessels and causes a black-and-blue mark. Eventually, the body can reabsorb the blood, and the bruise will disappear. Residents who are on certain medications, such as anticoagulants or corticosteroids, may bruise more easily.
Lacerations and skin tears are traumatic wounds that primarily occur on the extremities of older results as the result of friction or shearing and friction. Approximately 1.5 million skin tears occur each year in nursing home residents. These wounds are painful and may lead to an infection.
Causes of Nursing Home Skin Injuries
According to a nursing home lawyer, bruises can happen for many reasons. Residents can sustain bruises when they are handled too roughly, or when equipment such as mechanical lifts are used incorrectly. Bruising is caused by trauma, and sadly, nursing home abuse is often the source of that trauma for residents living in facilities that provide poor care or are understaffed.
Lacerations and skin tears often occur when nursing home staff do not provide the proper care for a resident’s skin. These skin issues are very concerning for residents who depend on staff for care. Staff members who rush during resident care routines, or who treat a resident roughly, can cause a skin tear or laceration. Lacerations can also happen during a fall or other traumatic accident at the nursing home.
Injuries of Unknown Origin
Sometimes the nursing home will tell a family that they don’t know the cause of the resident’s skin injury. This is called an injury of unknown origin. These injuries should be fully investigated for the potential that the injury was caused by nursing home abuse. Physical abuse and sexual abuse are two types of abuse that can result in skin injuries. If you believe your loved one suffered an injury of unknown origin due to abuse, contact a nursing home abuse lawyer who can help get to the bottom of what really happened.
Contact a Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer for Lacerations and Bruises
A nursing home abuse lawyer at our law firm is familiar with skin injuries such as lacerations and bruises that are the result of nursing home abuse. Our firm will not tolerate nursing home mistreatment, and neither should you. We will advocate for your loved one and help hold facilities accountable for injuries that occurred from nursing home abuse. Call us today at 215-666-7777 or send us a message to speak directly with an attorney.
