Is Sepsis Considered Nursing Home Neglect

Our bodies have a unique ability to fight off infections. It might not seem like it when you catch a cold or flu, but the body is hard at work getting those germs pushed out. Unfortunately, the same immune system can sometimes overreact to an infection and will have the reverse effect. When that happens, sepsis can occur. That is a condition that, unless treated early, can lead to significant health issues and possibly fatality. For many families, a concern is if sepsis is considered nursing home neglect.

It is essential to understand the scope of how prevalent sepsis is in nursing homes and how that relates to issues of neglect. NBC News did an investigative report two years ago and found the following disturbing information:

“Examining data related to nursing home residents who were transferred to hospitals and later died, the firm found that 25,000 a year suffered from sepsis, among other conditions. Their treatment costs Medicare more than $2 billion annually, according to Medicare billings from 2012 through 2016, analyzed by Definitive Healthcare. In Illinois, about 6,000 nursing home residents a year who were hospitalized had sepsis, and 1 in 5 didn’t survive, according to Definitive’s analysis.”

That makes sepsis a health issue that anyone with a loved one in a nursing home should be concerned with.

How Nursing Home Neglect Leads to Sepsis

A nursing home resident who contracts sepsis stands a good chance of making a full recovery if there is early intervention. This is where the issue of possible neglect comes into play. Here are some of the reasons why sepsis could happen:

Lack of Proper Supervision

A lack of proper nursing home supervision can create a range of problems. That supervision begins with making sure the staff carefully monitors bed-ridden residents and keeps up with repositioning protocols. Proper supervision should also lead to attentive medical care. Without that, sepsis can rapidly spread.

Inadequate Wound Care

Sepsis often develops when bacteria get into an open wound. If a resident does not have proper care around wound sites, such as IVs, it could lead to sepsis. The same is true for minor cuts or abrasions. It would be considered a clear instance of neglect if those wounds are not carefully cleaned and bandaged to reduce the risk of the resident contracting sepsis.

Misdiagnosis

You don’t want a staff member to look at an infection and say, “It’s fine.” That type of misdiagnosis might happen if the staff is spread thin and can’t devote the right amount of time to provide a proper assessment. A staff that is overworked or understaffed is a form of neglect that can lead to sepsis. Sepsis can go from the initial infection to sepsis in as little as 12 hours.

Poor Disease Management

Sepsis is not contagious as a condition. However, the bacteria that can trigger sepsis can be carried from one person to another. The staff could spread the bacteria if they do not follow proper hygiene procedures. At a minimum, those protocols should include sanitizing hands and wearing surgical gloves when treating wounds.

Assigning Liability to a Nursing Home

Sepsis is a devasting illness that doesn’t have to happen if the nursing home is providing proper care. If a loved one in an Illinois nursing home has developed sepsis, you should speak to the Prince Law Firm. We have helped many families find a remedy for the losses from nursing home neglect. Call to schedule a free consultation to talk about what happened to your loved one.