We successfully obtained £20,000 worth of compensation for our client who suffered from a pressure sore (skin ulcer) whilst under the care of a nursing home.
Our client was paralysed from the shoulders down as a result of a past injury and received daily assistance from a carer in his own home. In 2012, he was admitted to a Nursing Home for respite care after his previous care package had broken down. Our client had lived in the nursing home in the past, so was well known by staff members there.
The negligent care
Due to his paralysis, our client was at very high risk of developing pressure sores. Unfortunately, a month into his respite care it was noted that he had a red mark appear on his sacral area (bottom of his spine). A dressing was put on the wound by the staff and left for a week. The red mark deteriorated, and it was noted that it had developed into a pressure sore. Although it was recorded in his records, our client was not told.
Some weeks later our client was visited at the nursing home by district nurses. The nurses assessed the sore to be between grade three and four in severity. Grade four is the most severe level of pressure sore. Sadly, the pressure sore was down to the bone and required daily dressing changes.
The pressure sore greatly affected our client’s quality of life during this period. He was bed bound for many months and was not allowed to sit in order to stop pressure preventing the healing process of his sacral wound. Our client became very depressed as he was unable to go outside in his wheelchair at all or take part in his daily activities.
He returned to his own home towards the end of 2012 when his care was again taken over by his carer. The District Nurses continued to visit him in order to change the dressings. The pressure sore slowly began to heal and, eventually, our client returned to his previous standard of living.
How we helped
We were instructed to purse a claim for compensation on our Client’s behalf. Following extensive initial investigations which included a full review of our client’s medical records we brought an action against the nursing home.
We successfully negotiated a prompt settlement. Our client was delighted to receive compensation in the sum of £20,000. Our client also received an apology from the nursing home, who ensured that measures were put in place to train staff in order to avoid the same treatment failures from happening to other patients in future.
How can we help you?
We help lots of clients every year claim the compensation they deserve. This case study demonstrates how we have helped clients claim compensation for nursing home negligence. Please be aware that the compensation amount depends on the client’s individual situation and experiences. To see how much your claim could be worth please contact us directly.
