Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
Nursing home residents in Riverside County and throughout Southern California can experience a wide range of injuries, infections, and other types of harm as a result of nursing home negligence and inadequate care. While many people assume most injuries from nursing home abuse and neglect result from intentional acts — and certainly, intentional harm does occur — there are many injuries reported that arise from passive neglect. When nursing homes and assisted-living facilities do not have enough staff members to attend to the specific needs of individual patients, serious injuries can occur. Contractures are a somewhat common but lesser-known type of harm that can affect nursing home residents, resulting in increased disability and injuries frequently as a result of neglect. Our Riverside County nursing home negligence lawyers can tell you more.
What are Contractures?
What are contractures? According to Stanford Medicine: “Contractures are an abnormal occurrence that happens when a large area of skin is damaged and lost, resulting in a scar. The scar formation pulls the edges of the skin together, causing a tight area of skin. The decrease in the size of the skin can then affect the muscles, joints, and tendings, causing a decrease in movement.” Contractures can occur in a person at any age, but they present particular problems for older adults with mobility issues. They can have various causes, including certain medical procedures, infections, and other skin and mobility issues.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA), contractures “represent a common but preventable source of excess disability among nursing home residents,” as well as “many negative consequences such as pain, increased fall risk, and decreased functional ability.” When frail nursing home residents and nursing home residents with existing mobility issues are also dealing with contractures, they likely require additional care, monitoring, and assistance.
Nursing Home Liability for Contractures and Injuries Arising Out of Them
Nursing homes can be liable for contractures and related injuries in two ways: for the contractures themselves, as well as for injuries that result from a resident having contractures.
When a nursing home resident has contractures, they are more likely to struggle with activities of daily living (ADL), more likely to suffer injuries in falls, and more likely to sustain subsequent injuries resulting from pain and limited mobility, including bed sores. When these types of injuries or harm arise out of the effects of a resident having contractures, it is essential for nursing homes to provide care that is tailored to the needs of the resident to prevent these forms of harm from occurring.
In addition to the harms resulting from contractures, an article in Geriatric Nursing confirms that contractures can also occur due to passive neglect. The article describes contractures as a “common but preventable consequence of prolonged physical immobility among nursing home residents.”
Contact a Riverside County Nursing Home Neglect Attorney Today for Assistance
Anyone who has an elderly loved one in a nursing home or related facility and notices unexplained injuries should take action. Even when nursing homes and staff members do not intend to cause harm, even injuries that could be relatively minor for younger people can become devastating and deadly for older adults in skilled nursing facilities. If your elderly loved one has been diagnosed with contractures or any other type of condition that could have arisen as a result of inadequate care, one of the Riverside County nursing home negligence attorneys at our firm can provide you with more information about filing a claim. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about options for holding the nursing home accountable.
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