In a previous Baltimore nursing home lawyer blog, our attorneys discussed the risk of pressure sore development in nursing homes, and the importance of proper nursing home care for pressure ulcer prevention and maintenance, to avoid resident injury or complications that can result in death.
According to recent news, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by Donald Simonton, who is suing Teays Vallen Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Charleston Area Medical Center for the death of his mother, Linda Bea Simonton. Simonton claims that the home engaged in nursing home negligence that reportedly led to the development and worsening of her bedsores, or decubitus ulcers, leading to her wrongful death.
Simonton was reportedly a resident of the home from December of 2008 to January of 2009, to receive physical and occupational therapy as well as skilled wound-care treatment for her legs. Her son claims that while she was at the home, her leg wounds became much worse and she developed additional pressure sores that would not have formed if the center had provided adequate nutrition. Simonton claims that his mother also suffered from inadequate hydration, which led to acute renal failure, among other health conditions leading to her untimely death.
As our Baltimore County nursing home lawyers discussed in a previous pressure sore prevention blog, once a pressure sore starts to form, the wound needs to be cared for immediately, as the sores can be healed with proper wound-care management, to prevent further skin breakdown or tissue loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, diet is also an essential part of pressure sore prevention and healing, as balanced meals supply the necessary nutrients needed to keep residents healthy.
If a Maryland nursing home or rehabilitation center fails to protect residents from developing pressure ulcers that can result in personal injury or death, the nursing home could be held liable for Maryland negligence or wrongful death. Contact Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers in Baltimore, Maryland today to discuss your nursing home rights.
Man blames Putnam nursing home, hospital for mother’s death, The West Virginia Record, January 18, 2011
Related Web Resources:
NCHS Data Brief: Pressure Ulcers Among Nursing Home Residents: United States 2004
Bedsores (Pressure Sores) Prevention, Mayo Clinic
National Institutes of Health, (NIH): Medline Plus: Pressure Ulcer Research
Related Blog Posts:
Washington DC Nursing Home Neglect Can Cause Bedsores, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, January 31, 2011
Steps to Prevent Bedsore Development in Nursing Homes, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, December 30, 2010
Nursing Home Negligence—The Four Stages of Pressure Sore Development, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, December 29, 2010