Nursing Home Injuries & Elder Abuse Attorney
Has a loved one experienced an injury while at a nursing home? Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers is here to help. Representing clients across South Carolina, we handle claims involving abuse and negligence at nursing homes and elder care centers. Unexplained injuries, recurring injuries, and injuries resulting from general neglect or poor supervision can have disastrous results for the elderly. Our Myrtle Beach nursing home abuse lawyers are committed to fighting for justice.
Nursing Home Unexplained & Recurring Injuries in South Carolina
At a nursing home, assisted living facility, or elder care center, there are specific types of injuries that may give cause for concern. Our firm handles all types of injury claims involving elderly patients and residents at these facilities. Because we have decades of experience in this field, we know how to investigate claims to determine cause and fault. Together, we can work to set things right. We can hold at-fault parties accountable.
Jeff Morris will take on the following types of nursing home injury claims:
- Bedrail injuries
- Fall injuries, caused by slip and fall or trip and fall accidents
- Transfer injuries, sustained when moving to or from a wheelchair or bed
- Improper wound care, leading to infection
- Broken and fractured bones
- Bruising and unexplained injuries
- Injuries caused by continual or excessive use of restraints
- Bed sores and pressure ulcers
If your elderly loved one has been injured while at a nursing home, ask questions. Find out what occurred. Do not hesitate to call a South Carolina nursing home neglect attorney if you suspect foul play of any kind. After all, your loved one deserves to be treated with respect and proper care. Deviations from this standard of care may have caused their injuries, and the responsible parties should be held brought to justice.
South Carolina Wrongful Death Attorney
When we put our elderly loved ones in nursing homes, we are trusting their very lives to the caregivers and staff members at these facilities. We do so with the assumption that they will receive proper care, but this does not always occur. The results can be tragic.
If you lost a loved one who was at a nursing home, elder care center, rehabilitation center, or assisted living facility, we want to hear your story. At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we represent families across South Carolina in wrongful death actions involving nursing home abuse and negligence. We can investigate the circumstances surrounding your loved one's death to determine what occurred and whether any type of wrongdoing was involved. We can seek justice in your loved one's name.
The following are potential causes of wrongful death at nursing homes:
- Medication errors
- Negligent supervision
- Serious slip and fall accidents
- Physical abuse
- Severe dehydration or malnutrition
- Delays or failures to seek medical care for injuries or illnesses
- Improper wound care, leading to infection or sepsis
- Suicide resulting from psychological or sexual abuse
Nursing homes and assisted living centers should uphold their obligation to provide proper treatment and care to elderly patients. They should be held responsible when their acts - or failures to act - result in the loss of a patient's life. As a South Carolina nursing home abuse attorney, Jeff Morris is prepared to deliver the legal counsel you need to seek justice on behalf of your lost loved one. We know we cannot go back and prevent your loss from occurring, but we can hold at-fault parties accountable to bring you peace of mind and a more stable future.
Pressure Ulcers
Many patients in elder care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes may have issues with mobility. This increases their chances of developing pressure ulcers. Typically caused by constant pressure on a specific area of the skin, these painful injuries can affect the skin and underlying tissue. They are also referred to as bed sores or pressure sores.
If you or someone you love developed pressure ulcers, substandard care may be the cause. Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers is here to represent your interests, and to help you recover fair compensation for your medical bills and possibly more. Led by South Carolina nursing home neglect attorney Jeff Morris, who has a diverse and extensive legal background that spans over two decades, our team is standing by to deliver the results you deserve. We take these cases personally. We work diligently to see that justice is served.
WHAT CAUSES PRESSURE ULCERS?
There are three factors that contribute to the development of pressure ulcers, specifically in elderly patients:
- Constant pressure on the affected area, which leads to decreased blood flow and eventually cell death. This is most common in bedridden patients and those confined to wheelchairs and often occurs in the elbows, heels, ankles, buttocks, and hips.
- Shear incidents, which occur when one surface moves and another remains stationary. A patient sitting up in a bed, for example, may gradually shift downward, stretching the skin and causing damage to the blood vessels and tissue in the area.
- Friction, which damages the skin by rubbing it against another surface. Patients who are frequently dragged or carried to be repositioned may suffer friction injuries, which can lead to pressure ulcers.
Repositioning a patient and keeping his or her skin clean can help prevent pressure ulcers from developing in the first place. If an elder caregiver or nursing staff member failed to properly prevent pressure ulcers, you may have grounds for a case. Putting a skilled South Carolina nursing home abuse lawyer on your side can ensure the proper presentation of your claim and a fair settlement or award.
Elderly Restraints
For an elderly person in a nursing home, restraints may be physical or chemical in nature. Medication may be administered as a way to sedate and restrain a patient. Physical restraints may be used in the guise of protecting the patient from harm or from wandering. Elderly restraints, however, often cause more harm than good.
At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we are strong advocates against elderly restraints. We have seen too many patients suffer harm as a result of the unnecessary or excessive use of restraints. If your loved one has suffered such harm, we are here to help you. We take each case personally and will fight for justice on your behalf.
Chemical & Physical Restraints at Nursing Homes
Chemical and/or physical restraints may be used by nursing home staff members under the premise that they will keep an elderly patient safe from falling out of bed or out of a wheelchair. They may be used to try to prevent wandering or elopement in patients who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's. In spite of these claims, elderly restraints can cause serious physical and psychological problems in the very patients they are meant to protect.
Physical restraints have been linked to:
- Muscle atrophy
- Social isolation
- Depression
- Loss of self-esteem
- Anxiety and anger
- Cardiovascular problems
- Incontinence
- Loss of independence
- Bedsores
- Fractures and sprains sustained when a patient tries to break free
There are other ways to deal with the problems that restraints are meant to solve. Other solutions can be found that do not severely inhibit a patient's independence and self-esteem. And if restraints must be used, they should be used sparingly and properly.
South Carolina nursing home abuse attorney Jeff Morris and the rest of our team are committed to restoring the dignity and well-being of elderly patients at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This includes addressing elderly restraints and exposing their misuse.
Bed Sores
Bed sores, also referred to as pressure sores or pressure ulcers, are painful injuries caused by damage to the skin and soft tissue that results from prolonged pressure on the affected area. Elderly patients at nursing homes and elder care centers who have mobility issues or are bedridden are at risk of developing bed sores if they are not properly cared for. With these injuries, prevention is the key. Treatment and healing can take time, so it is better to prevent them in the first place by frequently repositioning the patient.
Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers represents clients across South Carolina who have developed bed sores due to improper care at nursing homes. Preventing bed sores is not difficult, but it requires proper care and attention. South Carolina nursing home neglect lawyer Jeff Morris knows how to identify the signs of neglect and how these lead to bed sores and other injuries. He and our team are prepared to deliver the quality counsel you need.
Has your elderly loved one developed bed sores? Are you concerned that these are being improperly treated? We at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers want to hear from you. We are prepared to listen to your concerns. With our experience in this field, we can advise you of your rights and options and the way that a South Carolina nursing home negligence attorney can help.
In our experience, those at the greatest risk of developing bed sores include patients who are:
- Sedated
- Paralyzed
- Injured and confined to a wheelchair
- Injured and bedridden
- Comatose
- In overall poor health and with limited mobility
- Undergoing recovery after surgery
Caregivers at nursing homes and rehabilitation centers have an obligation to provide standard care to prevent bed sores from developing. Frequent repositioning of the patient and using special beds or mattresses can help. Cleanliness is also crucial, as bed sores are more likely to develop on unclean skin.
Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers Defends Your Rights on Nursing Home Abuse Cases
When a loved one has been injured or abused in a home nursing facility, the nursing home company will fight tooth and nail to keep from paying an injured person what they deserve. We at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers know their tactics and will fight hard for your right to recover the compensation you deserve. Call our Myrtle Beach location (843) 232-0944 for a free consultation to discuss your case.
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