Nursing Home Inattention Can Lead to Life-Threatening Sepsis

 Posted on July 21, 2020 in Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Making the decision to place your loved one in a nursing home can be a difficult, but necessary, conclusion that many children will come to as their parents advance in age. Maybe you do not have space to house your elderly parents or perhaps their conditions require medical attention around the clock. Regardless of the reasons behind the action, you are entrusting your loved one’s well-being in the hands of someone else. The staff at nursing homes are trained professionals and should be well-equipped to handle any circumstances that may arise. Unfortunately, neglect and abuse are common occurrences behind nursing home doors. Without adequate attention, your elderly parent could see his or her future taking a quick turn for the worse as a result of life-threatening conditions, including sepsis.

What Is Sepsis?

This condition is caused by the body’s response to an infection and is potentially life-threatening if it is left untreated. Normally, your body releases chemicals as soon as infections begin to manifest. When these chemicals get out of balance, damage can occur to the body’s organ systems causing them to improperly function. This condition is known as sepsis. If left untreated, sepsis can quickly escalate to septic shock, causing blood pressure to dramatically drop to fatal levels. Although sepsis can occur to anyone who has an infection, elderly people are common targets for sepsis and have a more difficult time recovering from its impact.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms?

If your loved one has an infection and experiences a change in his or her mental status, has a sudden high blood pressure reading, and has a respiratory rate of 22 or more breaths per minute, he or she likely has sepsis. These symptoms are easy to track if proper attention is paid to your parents. However, if these signs go unnoticed, sepsis will quickly progress to septic shock, which is deadly. If your loved one needs medication to maintain his or her blood pressure and has high levels of lactic acid in his or her blood, he or she needs immediate medical intervention to treat the septic shock.

Possible Complications

A person who has sepsis experiences impaired blood flow to vital organs, including the brain, heart, and kidneys. Blood clots can also begin to form in organs and appendages. If caught in time, mild sepsis is treatable and patients are able to recover. However, if sepsis progresses to septic shock, your loved one faces a daunting 40 percent mortality rate.

Contact a Rockford Personal Injury Attorney

As soon as signs of nursing home neglect or abuse become apparent, you should alert medical staff and also seek legal counsel. The lives of elderly nursing home residents are too fragile to wait. Sepsis is a common occurrence in older communities, and without proper medical attention, your parents could become victims of a treatable condition. The legal team at Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois, works to defend the most vulnerable, whether they are victims of intentional abuse or accidental neglect. Our attorneys advocate on our clients’ behalf to secure deserved compensation and keep them out of harm’s way in the future. If you or a loved one has suffered from neglect at a nursing home, call our Winnebago County nursing home neglect lawyers today at 815-215-7561 to schedule your free consultation.

Sources: 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sepsis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351214

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/s/sepsis.html