A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto has uncovered some startling facts that could lead to a diminished number of pressure ulcer injuries and decreasing healthcare costs. Bed sore lawyers say that an investment in pressure-reduction mattresses should alleviate the stress on the skin of elderly patients in hospitals and nursing home facilities across the country. Although bed sores are often overlooked, they pose a significant danger to elderly individuals.
Inexpensive Solution to an Expensive Healthcare Problem
On average, research has shown that the process to upgrade to pressure-reduction mattresses would cost about 30 cents per patient. This minimal investment would soon pay major dividends in the healthcare world. Professionals project that the reduction in bed sores could save $32 dollars per patient in treatment and care costs. This equation leads to one conclusion, big money will be saved once healthcare costs decrease. Murray Krahn, a principal investigator with the study stated that “pressure ulcers are a huge but under-appreciated problem across multiple settings in our health-care system.” He continued by stating, “though they are not the full solution, pressure-reduction mattresses are an inexpensive and easy way to address the problem.”
Bed sores are a major problem for the nursing home resident population across the nation. It is essential that these patients receive sufficient treatment and medical attention in order to avoid or properly care for bed sores.
Bed Sore Attorneys of New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your loved one has recently suffered from a bed sore, you may want to contact our professionals with questions regarding your legal rights. In cases where you suspect that neglect or mistreatment played a factor in the development of a bed sore, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation in New Jersey at (856) 833-0600, or in Philadelphia at (215) 567-2380.
When a child is between the ages of six weeks and nine months, surgery is usually done to close the cleft lip. Additional surgery may also be necessary down the road if the cleft has a major effect on the nose and the surrounding area. If the cleft lip can be successfully closed by this initial surgery, it becomes much more likely that the child will have normal speech developments as the aging process continues. During the early months however, a prosthetic is sometimes inserted temporarily to close a baby’s palate to ensure that a baby can receive the proper food and nutrients. When a baby is able to take in the proper amount of nutrients, even with the cleft lip and cleft palate, lawyers say that growth and weight issues are not nearly as likely.
Jawara Henry, a 27 year old autistic patient at the South Beach Psychiatric Center, a state run facility in New York, died after a supervisor tried to restrain him. Henry was “agitated and aggressive and was biting staff and other patients,” when Erik Stanley, 37, a supervisor for disabled adults at the Staten Island mental health facility held him in a wrongful restraint. Stanley allegedly applied excessive pressure to the neck and torso of Henry. According to a source, he placed the patient in a “chokehold,” forced him onto his stomach, and got on top of the patient while he was face down on the floor. Stanley did “not follow protocol nor use proper techniques while to trying to restrain” and used “excessive force.” The medical examiner determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation by neck and chest compression. Stanley was charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person. He pleaded not guilty and was released without bail.
Stage IV bed sores are horrifying wounds that cause incredible damage to the health of a person. If you or your loved one has a Stage IV bed sore that is currently not being treated, it needs to be treated immediately for the health and safety of the patient. Unfortunately, Stage IV bed sores start off as Stage I bed sores, as discussed in previous blog posts, which are entirely preventable by attentive medical professionals.
There are different reasons that children with certain birth defects may begin to develop speech problems. Professionals say that some of these problems are a direct result of the anatomical differences that are seen in people with cleft lip or cleft palate. On the other hand, attorneys say that it is also possible for children with birth defects to develop speech problems in different ways.
Stage III bed sores are incredibly serious and need immediate attention, as healing bed sores that progress past Stage II is extremely difficult. A stage III bed sore will display skin loss involving damage or death to the subcutaneous tissue that may extend to the connective tissue. The wound will look like a deep crater which is black around its edges. Subcutaneous fat may be visible, but bone, tendon, or muscle is not. There may be tunneling and undermining in the skin.
Those anecdotes you hear are often about some “frivolous” injury and a multi-million dollar award. Usually, these anecdotes are urban legends and are far from the truth. Juries are assigned with the task of fixing damages based on a number of factors, including the projected cost of continued medical care. When caps are utilized, medical malpractice lawyers can still win a judgment, but it is more likely that the judgment is not going to be enough to cover the victim’s medical costs. When the victim cannot pay their medical bills, the government will have to step in and help, help that is subsidized by taxpayers. Why should victims of medical malpractice and citizens have to bear the burden of “fixing the system” in favor of insurance companies and doctors?
In the early development of a fetus (the first three months of pregnancy), the lips and palate develop separately. Since the development is not simultaneous, babies may be born with only a cleft lip, a cleft palate, or in some cases both. When parts of the lip or palate do not completely come together, the orofacial problems begin to develop. There can also be many variations in the different types of clefts. A cleft can occur only on one side of the mouth, known as a unilateral cleft, or on both sides of the mouth, known as a bilateral cleft. Young girls are more likely to have a cleft palate that occurs alone. On the other hand, an oral cleft, regardless of whether it is lip or palate, is generally more common in boys.