Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
Amputations are devastating for elderly patients of nursing homes. Amputations often result in significant emotional distress, anxiety, trauma and depression. In addition, amputations can lead to significantly reduced mobility and loss of quality of life.
In many cases, amputations on elderly residents are preventable with proper diabetic care, proper safety precautions and proper care. Very often, amputations are a last resort for doctors who are trying to save a patient’s life. For elderly residents of nursing homes, amputations can occur due to neglected bedsores, untreated or unmanaged diabetes, and other instances of negligence.
Complications and Concerns with Amputations Among the Elderly
If a doctor decides amputation is need to save a nursing home resident’s life, it’s a big decision. The doctor will need to work with the patient to determine how much of a limb or affected body part can be saved. Common amputations for elderly patients include foot amputations, finger amputations, leg amputations, and arm amputations. The surgery may involve amputating just part of a limb or a larger part of a limb.
Recovery after an amputation needs to be considered. This may need to take into consideration rehabilitation, prosthetics, and other services. If nursing home abuse led to the need for an amputation, it’s not unusual for families to be concerned about the possibility of infection, too.
With elderly patients, there is also a concern about whether the patient is well enough for the surgery. If there are underlying conditions, these need to be considered when evaluating the risk for the patient. After surgery, pain management and helping the patient adjust to life with different mobility are priorities.
Since patients may find their independence threatened by an amputation, it is important to work with medical professionals to preserve independence and dignity as far as possible.
What You Can Do
If a loved one has suffered an amputation due to understaffing, poor care or other negligence on the part of a nursing home in Hollywood or anywhere in South Florida, contact a Hollywood nursing home abuse and negligence attorney. You can contact an attorney by contacting Flaxman Law Group at 1-866-352-9626 (1-866-FLAXMAN) or by reaching us online.
Our attorneys have more than six decades of combined experience and our founder is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Form, a prestigious organization that only one tenth of 1% of attorneys in the country are eligible to join. Our team has secured tens of millions of dollars on behalf of thousands of families and nursing home patients across southern Florida. We would be happy to speak with you in a free, no obligation consultation to find out whether you have a claim.