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A Fort Myers nursing home abuse lawyer says nursing home residents are very susceptible to infections. Nursing homes and other facilities should have environments that prevent residents from contracting infections and knowledgeable staff that recognizes the first signs of infection in order to control the severity. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that up to 72 percent of U.S. nursing homes received citations for not following infection control guidelines.

The Sepsis Alliance recommends caregivers and family members use the organization’s “It’s About TIME” acronym to determine if they should be concerned about sepsis infections.  The TIME acronym stands for:

• T – Temperature: Is the patient’s temperature higher than normal?
• I – Infection: Does the patient have signs or symptoms of an infection?
• M – Mental Decline: Is the patient confused, sleepy, or have difficulty waking up?
• E – Extremely Ill: Does the patient complain of severe pain, discomfort, or a feeling like they might not recover?

Every year 25 thousand nursing home residents die from sepsis. Nursing home residents are at an increased risk of sepsis because they often develop common infections, such as urinary tract infections (UTI) and pneumonia. The Sepsis Alliance reports these infections commonly lead to sepsis and sepsis is the reason many victims are transferred to hospitals.

Sepsis progresses to severe sepsis when, in addition to signs of sepsis, there are signs of organ dysfunction, such as difficulty breathing (problems with the lungs), low or no urine output (kidneys), abnormal liver tests (liver), and changes in mental status (brain). Nearly all patients with severe sepsis require treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU). Septic shock is the most severe level and is diagnosed when the blood pressure drops to dangerous levels.

A study conducted by the University of Michigan Health System, which was published in JAMA in 2010, found that older, severe sepsis survivors were at higher risk for long-term cognitive impairment and physical problems.

“We expect when we choose a nursing home for loved ones that they will be protected and in clean, sanitary facilities. However, this is not always the case. If your loved one has suffered because of the negligence of another, please contact our experienced Fort Myers nursing home abuse legal team. We represent people involved in numerous types of personal injury and wrongful death accidents throughout the state of Florida. All of our clients have unique personal injury cases. Our firm provides personal contact and communication along with aggressive representation” said Fort Myers Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Randall Spivey.

Fort Myers Nursing Home Abuse Attorney  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact  Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.