Bedsores (also known as pressure ulcers) can prove uncomfortable, debilitating, and even deadly in elderly patients confined to nursing homes. As Northern Illinois nursing home injury attorneys who've dealt with many diverse cases of elder care abuse, we at the Law Offices of Steven J. Malman & Associates can provide assistance to you and your family if you suspect that a nursing care facility has been negligent.

Bedsores result from chronic pressure on certain areas of the body. Most of us think of 'bed' as a safe place where we can stretch out and relax. But for elderly patients confined due to paralysis, surgery, fatigue, or other medical or emotional complications, bed can be a surprisingly dangerous arena. Bed-ridden patients who are not regularly repositioned can suffer. And nursing home patients - who are often undernourished, relatively frail, and desensitized to pain - are typically at far greater risk for developing bedsores than are the non-elderly.

The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel recognizes four stages of bedsores:

Stage 1: Sores appear as closed wounds with red or pink coloration, a spongy touch, and potentially itching or burning sensations.

Stage 2: Sores look like abrasions to the skin or perhaps pressure blisters. Sores become open wounds as opposed to closed wounds.

Stage 3: Sores now extend into muscle and perhaps adipose tissue.

Stage 4: Advanced injuries to skin, muscle, fat, and other underlying tissues, including potentially joints, ligaments, and even bones. Infection often associated.

Untreated or poorly treated bedsores can vastly complicate a nursing home resident's health prognosis. Often, even if bedsores don't kill a patient outright, these injuries can comprise immune systems, lead to discomfort, require secondary medications (which can interfere with primary medications or prevent surgeries that otherwise might be useful), and so forth.

If you believe that a loved one has been the victim of nursing home negligence, and this negligence has led to the formation and / or exacerbation of pressure ulcers, you may be able to take powerful legal action to hold the care facility accountable and to collect compensation for pain, suffering and other assessments. Discuss your situation today with the caring, experienced, and time tested Chicago personal injury attorneys of Steven J. Malman & Associates. Our no fee guarantee means you never pay out of pocket for our services - you only pay if and when we collect for you. Our track record speaks for itself. And our attorneys are available 24X7 to answer your questions and concerns: 1-800-MALMAN-LAW (1-800-625-6265).