Soft Tissue Infections in Elders From Nursing Home Neglect

Soft Tissue Infections and Nursing Home Abuse Explained

Nursing home abuse can be defined as the mistreatment of a resident that is intentional or neglectful. U.S. estimates indicate that one out of 10 older adults experiences abuse or neglect by a caregiver each year.

The best way to prevent abuse is through frequent screening, which can include checking the body for areas of the skin that look like bruising, a rash, or irritation. Regularly examining your loved one can help prevent neglect that leads to illnesses such as soft-tissue infections.

Untreated pressure ulcers or wounds can become infected, leading to soft-tissue infections and other severe health complications among elderly residents.

Fortunately, you may be able to pursue compensation if a loved one suffered a soft tissue infection while in a nursing home. This compensation can help cover medical treatments and other expenses.

Causes of Soft Tissue Infections in Nursing Homes

When residents aren’t properly treated or are abused or neglected, they can develop soft tissue infections, or SSTIs (skin and soft tissue infections). There are two common soft tissue infections in nursing homes: cellulitis and pressure ulcers.

Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of the skin and the tissues beneath it. Cellulitis can appear suddenly or develop at the site of a cut or wound. The most common areas where cellulitis occurs are the head, neck, arms, shins, and feet.

Cellulitis is not contagious and does not occur more frequently in men or women.

Symptoms of cellulitis include:

Tenderness
Swelling
Redness
Skin that feels warm to the touch

If the infection worsens, symptoms become more severe, and the resident can develop:

Fever
Chills
Sweats
Delirium (confusion)
Pain
Swollen lymph nodes

Pressure Ulcers

Pressure ulcers or bedsores are the most common form of soft tissue infection in nursing home abuse. They occur when the resident remains in one position for too long without being moved. Pressure ulcers, or bedsores, most often occur on the lower body.

Pressure ulcers are so common that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created specific guidelines to reduce their occurrence.

The regulation states that a facility must do the following:

Ensure that a resident who enters a facility without pressure ulcers does not develop pressure ulcers unless the individual’s clinical condition demonstrates that pressure ulcers were unavoidable
Promote the prevention of pressure ulcer development
Promote the healing of pressure ulcers that are present (including the prevention of infection)
Prevent the development of additional pressure ulcers

The best way to protect your loved one from skin infections is through regular skin inspections, ensuring proper nutrition and hydration, managing moisture, and minimizing pressure (e.g., staying in bed or in one spot for more than 2 hours at a time).

Approximately 20-25% of nursing home residents suffer from pressure ulcers, and 65% of pressure ulcers lead to infection.

Use our free tool right now if you’re worried that poor care in a nursing home is putting someone at risk.

Types of Soft Tissue Infections

There are different types of soft tissue infections that vary depending on the cause and where they develop.

The different types of skin and soft tissue infections include:

Erysipelas involves the dermis and most commonly involves the legs. A classic sign is the orange-peel (peau d’orange) appearance of the infected skin.
Necrotizing fasciitis is a particularly destructive infection that causes rapidly advancing deep tissue necrosis (death of skin cells). A variety of underlying conditions that include prior injury, surgery, irradiation, cancer, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, and malnutrition lead to necrotizing fasciitis.
Impetigo manifests with honey-colored crusted erosions. The need for pathogen identification is especially important if other household members are also infected, so that therapy is curative and re-infection by a family member does not occur.
Folliculitis usually occurs on body surfaces with short, coarse hair, such as the scalp, neck, beard area, axillae, buttocks, and limbs. A furuncle or boil is the manifestation of a deeper infection of the hair follicle.
Herpes zoster (also known as shingles) is caused by reactivation of the latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox. After a chickenpox infection, VZV remains latent in an individual’s dorsal root and cranial nerve ganglia for decades. Reactivation often happens for no apparent reason. Outbreaks of zoster have been associated with stress and immune suppression.
Onychomycosis is a fungal nail infection that occurs more frequently in the elderly and in males than in females. The prevalence of fungal nail infections was about 18% in the 60-79-year age group. Increasing age, male gender, diabetes mellitus, family history of onychomycosis, psoriasis, concurrent intake of immunosuppressive drugs, and peripheral vascular disease are associated with a greater risk of onychomycosis.

Monitoring and Treating Soft Tissue Infections

It’s important to be aggressive in monitoring your loved one for skin and soft tissue infections because the integrity of skin decreases with age.

Factors that contribute to an increased risk of soft tissue infections include:

Slowing the immune system
Decreased function of sweat glands
Skin thinning
Low skin moisture content

Some diseases can worsen skin and soft tissue infections. Diabetes and hypertension are a few examples in which decreased blood flow can slow the healing of a cut or sore, which may lead to a skin and soft tissue infection.

Physical issues that result from soft tissue infections can be short-term or long-term, depending on how quickly the infection is caught and treated. Most skin and soft tissue infections are treated with an oral antibiotic and/or a topical cream or lotion.

Examples of Soft Tissue Infections in Nursing Homes

When nursing homes neglect their residents to the point where they develop soft tissue infections, residents and their families can seek legal compensation. Below are some past examples of legal cases involving nursing home abuse or neglect that led to soft tissue infections in residents.

Stage 4 Bedsore, Tennessee

The nursing home resident entered the nursing home with no skin breakdown and, in less than three months, entered a local hospital with stage 3 pressure sores to both his left and right heel and a stage 4 pressure sore to the sacrum (the area right above where the fold in the rear end stops).

The resident was also clinically dehydrated with significant weight loss of 24 pounds. The resident nearly died at the hospital, but ultimately was able to recover, and his wounds all began to show significant signs of healing when he died a number of months later. This case was settled in mediation for an undisclosed amount.

Stage 4 Bedsore, Virginia

A nursing home resident obtained a large stage 4 bedsore to his sacral area that became infected, ultimately leading to his death. His family was never notified about the size or development of the bedsore. An investigation ensued; after experts were engaged, a complaint was filed, and the defendant nursing home requested immediate mediation.

During mediation, the defendant indicated that they had failed the family, apologized, and showed a willingness to resolve the claim. The case was resolved at mediation for a confidential amount.

Did You Know

A record $2.8 million pressure sore settlement was reached against a nursing home and physician for a 59-year-old resident who developed multiple painful and infected bedsores. The sores took four years to heal.

Other examples of cases involving soft tissue infections in nursing homes include:

$420,000 settlement against a nursing home and hospital for an infected stage 4 pressure ulcer
$350,000 settlement against a nursing home for the development of a pressure ulcer, which required surgical amputation
$200,000 settlement against a nursing home for the development of a stage 3 heel pressure ulcer

You may be able to pursue compensation if a soft tissue infection led to a bedsore.

Nursing Home Abuse and Soft Tissue Infection Legal Help

It’s important to remember that the most valuable nursing home abuse detection tool is consistent awareness by loved ones or family. Staying current with your loved one’s medical needs and ailments is the best approach to prevent abuse or neglect.

Skin and soft tissue infections that result from nursing home abuse are serious. Infections can lead to further health issues and, in the worst cases, death.

If you believe your loved one has suffered from a soft tissue infection from nursing home abuse or neglect, get a free case review. Compensation may be available.