Bed Sores - Level of Severity

The Los Angeles bed sore lawyers at the Yeroushalmi Law in believe that the development of pressure ulcers is egregious and usually the fault of the nursing home or assisted living facility. We are dedicated in holding facilities and their operators responsible for the reprehensible and preventable occurrence of pressure ulcers. We have handled many pressure ulcer cases and understand how horrific they can be, especially during the later levels of severity. Our experience, in combination with our compassion for victims of elder abuse, have equipped us with the knowledge to assist you and your loved ones through this difficult time.

Pressure ulcers are categorized based on varying levels of severity, from Stage I to Stage IV:

Stage I
The first stage of a pressure ulcer involves the reddened or discolored skin area that doesn’t blanch when touched. The skin may have discoloration, with ashen, bluish or purple areas. The affected skin area may be tender, firm, warmer or cooler compared to the surrounding skin area.

Stage II
The second stage of a pressure sore involves a scrape resulting from loss of the outer skin layers. An open wound may appear as an indented, pinkish or reddish wound, or as a broken or unbroken fluid-filled blister. Drainage may or may not be present.

Stage III
The third stage of a pressure ulcer involves a deep wound that has a crater-like appearance. The break in the skin extends through the dermis (second skin layer) into the fact tissue.

Stage IV
The final stage of a pressure sore involves a large-scale loss of skin tissue that may even expose muscle, bone and tendons. The base of the wound likely contains debris-like or dark, crusty dead tissue.

Facility staff plays an instrumental role in determining the quality of care that your loved one will receive. Therefore, it is extremely important that the staff be trained to accurately diagnose a patient’s bed sore. When skin assessments are performed, these caregivers must be able to assess and document the condition of a patient’s skin accurately. Because treatments for a stage I and a stage IV pressure ulcer, for example, can vary considerably, caregivers must closely monitor the pressure sore and make sure that the patient is receiving appropriate treatment for the level of severity of the pressure sore. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of facility administrators and operators to provide proper training regarding pressure ulcers to their staff. If your loved one has suffered harm as a result of a preventable bed sore, you may want to call a Los Angeles bed sore attorney.

Pressure ulcers are more challenging to treat than to prevent. Therefore, it is important for a facility to provide adequate staffing levels to implement pressure ulcer prevention. It is also imperative for nursing homes specifically to properly train their registered nurses and certified nursing assistants so that they are capable of detecting early stage pressure ulcers before they get worse. (For more information, please go to California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog.)

If your loved one developed a pressure ulcer that advanced to a serious stage as a result of his or her nursing home’s failure to assess and treat it properly, he or she is most probably be a victim of nursing home neglect and elder abuse. Because pressure sores are preventable injuries, we urge you to take action against the parties responsible for your loved one’s unnecessary suffering.

Contact the bed sore attorneys of Yeroushalmi Law in Los Angeles today and our team will evaluate your case for free. We have achieved significant results for elder abuse and neglect cases centered on pressure ulcers for our clients and are prepared to do the same for you and your loved one. With extensive experience in nursing home and assisted living neglect litigation and a dedication to protecting the elderly of our community, Yeroushalmi Law can help your loved one obtain the rights to which he or she is entitled.