Stage 4 Bedsore in a Nursing Home

What Are Stage 4 Bedsores?

A stage 4 bedsore is an area of damaged skin and tissue — often as wide as the palm of a hand — caused by prolonged pressure. Also known as stage 4 pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, they’re the most serious type of bedsore.

Stage 4 bedsores can look like craters that have penetrated through multiple layers of dead tissue. In many cases, muscle, ligaments, or bone are exposed.

A stage 4 pressure ulcer can lead to life-threatening complications, like a blood infection called sepsis or a bone infection known as osteomyelitis.

LawFirm.com has partnered with experienced nursing home abuse lawyers who have secured over $304 million for residents with stage 4 bedsores and other nursing home injuries.

Get a free case review now to see if one of our legal partners may be able to fight for the compensation and justice you deserve.

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Can You Sue for a Stage 4 Bedsore?

You may be able to sue a nursing home or other assisted living facility if you or someone you love has developed a stage 4 bedsore while in care. These advanced-stage pressure ulcers are often a warning sign of abuse or neglect.

Nursing homes have a legal duty to provide a safe and healthy environment for residents. When they fail to do so, they may be required to pay for the harm they’ve caused.

A nursing home abuse attorney can explain your legal rights and take action to hold the facility accountable. Money from a stage 4 bedsore lawsuit can help pay for your loved one’s medical bills, pain and suffering, and much more.

Stage 4 Bedsore Lawsuit Settlement Amounts

The average nursing home abuse lawsuit settlement is about $400,000, but many families have secured much more compensation for stage 4 bedsores.

Stage 4 bedsore settlement and verdict amounts include:

• $30.9 million to the family of a patient in a California rehabilitation facility
• $5 million for a nursing home resident with a stage 4 bedsore at the base of her spine
• $2.1 million to a 70-year-old in a Florida nursing home
• $1.5 million for a Minnesota woman with multiple stage 4 bedsores
• $420,000 to a patient with an infected stage 4 pressure ulcer
• $2.3 million for the family of a Florida resident with dementia who passed away from bedsore injuries
• $1.5 million to a Georgia patient with stage 4 bedsores
• Over $10 million to a Florida nursing home resident with a stage 4 decubitus ulcer that required surgery

Case values for stage 4 bedsores may vary based on the severity of the injury, the amount of medical expenses, and whether the wound led to the patient’s death.

A nursing home neglect attorney will consider all relevant factors and fight for maximum compensation.

Steps to File a Stage 4 Bedsore Lawsuit

An experienced stage 4 bedsore lawyer can handle all of the legal legwork involved in filing a nursing home neglect lawsuit, so there’s no added stress on you or your family.

The basic steps for filing a stage 4 bedsore lawsuit include:

1. Getting a free case review: Top nursing home neglect attorneys offer free case reviews to see if you may qualify to take legal action.
2. Collecting evidence: Your team will gather evidence like medical records detailing the development and progression of the bedsore, photographs of the injury, and expert testimony to show how the facility was negligent.
3. Filing the stage 4 pressure ulcer lawsuit: Your nursing home abuse lawyer will file your lawsuit correctly and before deadlines called statutes of limitations.
4. Accessing compensation: Your lawyer will work to negotiate an out-of-court settlement with the nursing home. If your case doesn’t settle, your lawyer can pursue a stage 4 bedsore verdict on your behalf.

With a nursing home abuse lawyer fighting for the compensation your family deserves, you’ll be able to focus on your loved one’s recovery and moving them to a safer facility.

What Causes a Stage 4 Pressure Ulcer?

Stage 4 bedsores often begin with pressure on the skin and can develop quickly, especially when patients have underlying health conditions.

“Bedsores occur when pressure reduces or cuts off blood flow to your skin. This lack of blood flow can cause a pressure wound injury to develop in as little as two hours.”

– Cleveland Clinic

Causes of stage 4 bedsores include:

• Constant pressure: Sitting or lying in the same position for long periods of time restricts blood flow to the area, causing a bedsore. This is especially common in bony parts of the body, like the tailbone, shoulder blades, and ankle.
• Friction: If skin repeatedly rubs against bedding, clothing, or other surfaces, it can weaken its protective layers and increase the risk of injury.
• Moisture: Excessive moisture from perspiration, urine, or stool can soften the skin, making it more prone to damage.
• Shear: When the skin is pulled in one direction while underlying tissue is pulled in the opposite direction, the force can damage blood vessels and make the skin more vulnerable to bedsores.

Nursing home staff are trained to prevent stage 4 bedsores from forming by regularly adjusting a resident’s position and properly treating an early-stage bedsore.

Nursing Home Negligence & Stage 4 Pressure Wounds

A stage 4 pressure wound is often a sign that a patient is not getting proper care and that they may be at serious risk of infection and other health complications.

Nursing homes can cause stage 4 bedsores by:

• Allowing patients to become malnourished and dehydrated, increasing their risk
• Failing to reposition patients frequently enough
• Hiring inexperienced caregivers or providing inadequate training
• Not addressing poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions
• Running an understaffed nursing home

Nursing home residents who have limited mobility, are bedridden, or have medical issues that require round-the-clock care have an increased risk of developing a stage 4 bedsore. This includes patients with Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

Regardless of the cause of nursing home neglect or patient risk factors, it’s never acceptable.

Signs and Symptoms of a Bedsore Stage 4

Signs of a stage 4 bedsore can be shocking, as this serious nursing home injury may result in deeper tissue and even bone being exposed.

Signs of a stage 4 pressure ulcer include:

• A deep tissue injury that looks like a crater
• Dead or blackened tissue indicating decay
• Difficulty healing a wound with no signs of improvement even after treatment
• Exposed muscle or bone
• Extreme pain
• Fever, chills, or confusion
• Infection signaled by pus, discharge, or a foul odor
• Lack of sensation due to nerve damage

If you’ve spotted signs of a stage 4 bedsore in a loved one, LawFirm.com may be able to help you seek compensation for medical expenses and a facility where they can get the care they deserve.

Complications of Stage 4 Bedsores

If a stage 4 pressure ulcer is left undiagnosed or untreated, or if it’s poorly managed, this wound can lead to severe and potentially life-threatening complications.

Complications of a pressure ulcer stage 4 include:

• Infections: A stage 4 pressure ulcer greatly increases a person’s risk of infection. Soft tissue infections may occur along with cellulitis, a skin infection, and osteomyelitis, a bone infection.
• Sepsis: The deep wound increases the risk of an infection entering the bloodstream and causing a serious and sometimes fatal condition called sepsis.
• Hardened calcium buildup: The body may respond to severe tissue damage by depositing calcium in the affected area. This can lead to the formation of calcified tissue masses, complicating wound management and healing.
• Amputations: Patients may need to undergo an amputation if the stage 4 bedsore causes significant damage to the underlying bone.

A stage 4 bedsore can also cause a resident to experience intense pain due to deep tissue damage.

In serious cases, patients with stage 4 bedsores are also at risk of passing away. If that happens, family members may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit and seek compensation for their pain and suffering and more.

Stage 4 Bedsore Life Expectancy

The life expectancy of a patient with a stage 4 bedsore varies depending on their overall health and the medical care they receive. Some patients have lived for years after a diagnosis when complications are properly managed.

The prognosis, or health outlook, of a stage 4 pressure ulcer is “fair” with proper medical care but “dismal” when wound care is ineffective, according to a study published in Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs.

Another study found that over 50% of patients who develop bedsores in hospitals die in 1 year or less.

Prevention of Stage 4 Pressure Ulcers

There are steps nursing home staff can take to prevent stage 4 pressure ulcers in residents, making their occurrence both avoidable and unacceptable.

Caregivers can prevent stage 4 bedsores in patients by:

• Helping them reposition when they’re seated or in a bed
• Keeping their skin clean and dry
• Making sure they’re eating and staying hydrated
• Monitoring early-stage wounds and providing care to stop them from worsening
• Performing regular skin checks
• Using cushions to ease pressure
• Washing and changing bedsheets and clothing

Taking legal action can help you hold a negligent nursing home accountable and possibly even motivate the facility to change its policies to protect other residents from similar harm.

Get a free case review now to see if a nursing home neglect attorney can help you seek compensation and justice for a stage 4 bedsore.

Get the Compensation You Deserve

Take the first step toward compensation and justice for nursing home abuse.

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How an Early-Stage Bedsore Becomes a Stage 4 Pressure Wound

If left untreated, bedsores go through different stages as they progress and worsen. There are four pressure ulcer stages, with a stage 1 bedsore being the least serious.

The stages of bedsores are:

• Stage 1 bedsore: A pressure sore can develop after just 2 hours of immobility. It appears as a red spot on the skin, is warm to the touch, and may be painful.
• Stage 2 bedsore: At this stage, the skin breaks at the weakened area where the pressure persists, leaving a blister.
• Stage 3 bedsore: The skin around the open sore begins to decay, releasing a foul odor. It may also begin showing signs of infection, like pus or drainage.
• Stage 4 bedsore: The wound becomes wide, penetrating deep into the skin and potentially leading to severe health complications.

When early-stage bedsores are treated quickly, they can prevent stage 3 and 4 bedsores from forming. For this reason, a stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcer is often a sign of nursing home neglect.

Stage 4 Bedsore Treatment

There are several different treatment options for a stage 4 bedsore, depending on where the wound is located and how deep it has penetrated.

Treatment options for a stage 4 pressure ulcer include:

• Infection control: Antibiotics may be prescribed if there is evidence of a bacterial infection. Regular wound cleaning and proper hygiene are essential to prevent further complications.
• Pressure redistribution: To relieve pressure on the affected area, patients may require specialized pressure-reducing mattresses or cushions. Caregivers must reposition patients frequently to prevent continued wound pressure.
• Wound debridement: A health care provider removes dead or infected tissue to create a clean wound bed, which may improve the healing process.
• Wound dressings: Specialized wound dressings, like foams or ointments, help to maintain a moist environment, manage drainage, and protect the open wound from infection.
• Reconstructive surgery: In severe cases, this procedure can be used to clean, fill, and close the wound using a tissue transfer or healthy skin graft to promote healing.

These treatments are often painful, and they can be expensive. Compensation from a nursing home abuse lawsuit may be able to help families afford stage 4 bedsore treatments.

Get Legal Help for a Stage 4 Bedsore

Nursing home residents and their families expect that facilities will provide basic care. Sadly, that’s not always the case.

Stage 4 bedsores are almost always preventable, which means that patients with these injuries may have been forced to endure needless pain and suffering.

Our legal partners never charge any upfront costs or hourly fees, and they can help families in all 50 states.

Call (888) 726-9160 right now or get a free case review to see if they may be able to help your family seek justice.