Sonoma County Bedsore Lawyers

For families, choosing a nursing home, assisted living facility, or board and care home in Sonoma County is a decision rooted in trust. You expect your loved one to receive compassionate and diligent care. Unfortunately, a dangerous and often preventable condition known as bed sores — or decubitus ulcers — can be a clear sign of elder neglect. When these painful and serious injuries develop, it's not just a medical issue; it's a potential violation of the trust you placed in that facility.

If your family member has suffered from this condition, it is crucial to investigate the circumstances. The dedicated team at Nursing Home Law Group is here to help you understand your rights and hold negligent facilities accountable.

How Do Bed Sores Develop? A Sign of Neglect

Bed sores are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin. For residents with limited mobility who are confined to a bed or wheelchair, this pressure can cut off blood flow, causing the tissue to die.

While any immobile person is at risk, the development of a severe bed sore in a care facility is often a red flag for neglect. These facilities have a duty of care to prevent such injuries. This prevention includes:

Frequent Repositioning: Regularly turning and repositioning residents to relieve pressure on vulnerable areas like the tailbone, hips, heels, and elbows.

Proper Nutrition and Hydration: Ensuring residents receive adequate food and water to maintain healthy skin.

Cleanliness and Hygiene: Keeping residents clean and dry, as moisture can contribute to skin breakdown.

When understaffing, inadequate training, or simple indifference leads to a failure in these basic duties, the consequences for the resident can be devastating.

The Four Stages of Bed Sores: A Focus on Stage 4

Medical professionals classify bed sores into four stages based on their severity.

Stage 1: The skin is not broken but appears red and may be warm to the touch.

Stage 2: The skin breaks open, forming a shallow ulcer or blister.

Stage 3: The sore deepens, extending into the fat tissue beneath the skin.

Stage 4 is the most severe and life-threatening. At this stage, the ulcer is a deep crater that may expose muscle, tendons, or even bone. A Stage 4 sore carries an extremely high risk of serious infections like cellulitis, osteomyelitis (bone infection), and sepsis, a body-wide infection that can lead to organ failure and death. These wounds are incredibly painful and are an unambiguous sign of catastrophic neglect.

Hypothetical Scenarios of Neglect in Sonoma County

How does this happen in a local nursing facility? Consider these all-too-common situations:

• An assisted living facility in Santa Rosa is short-staffed over a weekend. A resident who cannot move on her own is left in the same position for over 12 hours, leading to the rapid development of a Stage 2 sore on her tailbone.
• A resident in a Petaluma board and care home repeatedly uses his call light for assistance to be cleaned. The staff ignores his calls for hours, and the prolonged moisture contributes to a painful ulcer.
• In a skilled nursing facility in Rohnert Park, a resident with dementia is losing weight and not eating well, compromising his skin integrity. Staff fail to implement a proper nutrition plan or notify the family, and a Stage 1 sore on his heel quickly progresses to a serious Stage 3 wound.

In each of these cases, the bed sore was preventable. It wasn’t a medical inevitability; it was a failure of care.

Holding Negligent Facilities Accountable

When a loved one develops a bed sore, especially a Stage 3 or 4 ulcer, you need an experienced Sonoma County bed sore lawyer to fight for your family. For over 20 years, Nursing Home Law Group has represented individuals impacted by elder abuse and neglect in the Sonoma County area. Our deep experience in suing nursing homes throughout California has led to a long history of success for our clients. A knowledgeable bed sore attorney in Sonoma County can investigate the facility's records, interview staff, and determine if neglect occurred.

We understand the anger and heartbreak that comes with discovering a loved one has been neglected. That is why we take all cases on a contingency fee basis—you pay nothing unless we win your case. All consultations are free and confidential. You need a powerful advocate to uncover the truth and secure the justice your family deserves. An experienced Sonoma County lawyer for bed sore cases from our firm will be that advocate.

Don't let neglect go unanswered. If you suspect your loved one's bed sores are a result of inadequate care, it's time to take action. Contact a Sonoma County bed sore lawyer at Nursing Home Law Group today. Let us investigate the allegations of neglect and fight for the dignity and compensation your loved one is owed.

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