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Los Angeles Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Handling Bladder & Bowel Injury Claims
Strong advocacy when California nursing homes fail to protect the elderly
It’s a natural part of life. Seniors need to go to the bathroom more often than younger people. Many seniors suffer from bladder and bowel disorders. Still, with medical care, most seniors can manage fairly well. Bladder and bowel problems can develop complications if infections develop, the kidney becomes damaged, or the incontinence becomes uncontrollable. Nursing homes in Los Angeles should anticipate these difficulties, help make going to the bathroom safe and as comfortable as possible, and help seniors obtain necessary medical care. Without proper care, some conditions, like urinary tract infections, can develop into permanent injuries and deaths.
At Garcia & Artigliere, our Los Angeles nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys have been fighting for the elderly since 1993. We are respected in California and nationwide for our strong record of holding nursing homes and other caretakers accountable for elderly abuse and neglect. We obtained more than $50 million for our clients in 2022 alone. Our lawyers work with nursing home professionals who understand what policies and procedures should be implemented to protect seniors. We work with proctologists, urologists, and other healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat bowel and bladder infections, injuries, and diseases. We’re ready to fight for seniors who suffer physical and emotional harm due to bladder and bowel disorders that could have been prevented or limited with proper nursing home care.
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How can we help?
- What types of bladder disorders do Los Angeles nursing home residents suffer?
- Are there treatments for bladder disorders?
- What types of bowel disorders do Los Angeles nursing home residents suffer?
- Are there treatments for bowel disorders?
- How do you show that nursing home neglect causes bladder and bowel injuries?
- What is the value of my California bladder or bowel injury claim?
- Do you have a nursing home bladder or bowel attorney injury near me?
What types of bladder disorders do Los Angeles nursing home residents suffer?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), between 50 and 65 percent of nursing home residents suffer from urinary incontinence. More than 50 percent of nursing home residents also have fecal incontinence.
The parts of the urinary tract are the bladder, uterus, urethra, and kidneys. Your kidneys filter the blood and create urine. Urine travels through the uterus to the bladder. The bladder stores the urine. If a senior’s bladder is working properly, the bladder muscles will contract, causing the urine to exit the body through the urethra.
The UV Irvine Health Department of Urology states that the common bladder disorders include:
- Overactive bladders.
- Neurogenic bladder conditions. These include symptoms of “incontinence, urinary tract infections, pain in the pelvis, and possible breakdown of kidney function.”
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs). These may be caused by a weakened immune system, cognitive impairments such as dementia, and catheter use. UTIs that are not treated properly may cause recurrent infections, sepsis, and kidney damage.
- Urinary incontinence. This disorder may be caused by a weak urethra, weak pelvis muscles, or disorders of the nervous system disorders.
Some of the other reasons nursing home residents in Los Angeles may have bladder discomfort are dehydration, trauma, kidney stones, and mobility issues.
Los Angeles nursing home staff should suspect a senior is having urinary or bladder disorders if there is a change in the color, smell, or cloudiness of the urine. Some residents feel pain. The need to urinate frequently is another symptom. Other symptoms include abdominal cramps, chills and fever, sepsis, loss of weight that cannot be explained, anemia, and other symptoms. Nursing homes need to take urine/bladder disorders seriously because the disorders can be life-threatening.
Are there treatments for bladder disorders?
Urinary and bladder treatments may include antibiotics for infections, biofeedback, bladder training, cancer-fighting treatments, relaxation medications, physical therapy, pessaries (somewhat akin to a diaphragm), physical therapy, changes in lifestyle, and surgery.
What types of bowel disorders do Los Angeles nursing home residents suffer?
Common bowel disorders that Los Angeles nursing home residents may develop according to the NIH are diarrhea, constipation, and fecal incontinence. Irritable bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is another bowel disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Another serious bowel disorder that nursing home residents may develop, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is fecal impaction: when feces back up inside the large intestine. The Cleveland Clinic states that almost half of nursing home seniors have fetal impaction – due to “decreased mobility, neurological disorders, and/or a side effect from medications.” This disorder can be very painful. It is almost ALWAYS preventable. If it is not treated in a timely manner, the disorder may cause a perforation of the bowel or internal hemorrhage – both of which may be fatal.
Another bowel disorder is gastroenteritis, which is an inflammation of the intestines and stomach. Gastroenteritis is a viral infection that can spread quickly and easily, especially if a Los Angeles nursing home fails to require hand washing or if the water supply is contaminated.
Are there treatments for bowel disorders?
Nursing homes in Los Angeles can often treat bowel disorders with some basic procedures. Nursing homes should also work with doctors who specialize in bladder and bowel disorders.
Some of the treatments include:
- Fetal incontinence. Fixed toilet schedules and pad use should help. Other remedies include enemas and laxatives.
- Constipation. Laxatives, enemas, nutrition, and manually emptying the feces. RNs also use fixed toilet schedules for constipation.
- Diarrhea. Treatments include dietary interventions and Loperamide.
How do you show that nursing home neglect causes bladder and bowel injuries?
Bladder and bowel disorders are very common health issues for the elderly. Nursing homes in Los Angeles should have policies in place to anticipate, check for, and treat bladder and bowel disorders. The nursing home health staff should:
- Have infection-prevention protocols
- Understand catheter safety issues
- Be able to quickly identify bladder or bowel disorders
- Arrange for a qualified licensed medical provider examination and treat the senior or contact the resident’s physicians immediately
At Garcia & Artigliere, our Los Angeles nursing home bladder and bowel disorder lawyers work with
- Nursing home professionals and doctors who can help explain what safety procedures that nursing homes failed to use
- Urologists, proctologists, family doctors, and other medical professionals who can diagnose the health disorder, explain the possible complications, review the treatments, and explain all the ways that nursing home neglect of bladder and bowel disorders can make a resident’s life miserable.
What is the value of my California bladder or bowel injury claim?
At Garcia & Artigliere, we are dedicated elder abuse and neglect lawyers. We’ve helped thousands of seniors obtain strong recoveries. Most Los Angeles nursing home residents are already struggling with health issues. The addition of a bladder or bowel disorder can make a senior’s life unbearable.
Our lawyers file complaints where we demand compensation for all your damages, including all your medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and any financial damages. If a nursing home is not providing quality care, our lawyers also request that residents with health disorders be transferred to a safer facility.
Do you have a nursing home bladder or bowel attorney injury near me?
Garcia & Artigliere represents Los Angeles nursing home residents who have bladder and bowel disorders or complications due to the neglect of the nursing home. Our team will answer all your questions and explain each phase of the claims process.
Talk with our California nursing home and bowel and bladder lawyers now
Many seniors already wake once or twice at night to go to the bathroom. Bladder and bowel disorders add a whole new layer of agony due to the pain, the continual worry about when and if the resident can perform these critical functions, and the general discomfort. With prompt and competent care, the trauma of incontinence, diarrhea, and other bladder and bowel disorders can be stopped or significantly reduced.
Garcia & Artigliere has been fighting nursing home residents for 30 years. Our Los Angeles nursing home bladder and bowel disorder attorneys have the experience, the respect of former clients and current attorneys, and the resources to help seniors obtain the compensation they deserve. Call us or contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation. We maintain additional offices in Long Beach, Louisville, New Orleans and Phoenix. We serve clients throughout the United States. There are no upfront costs and we do not receive a fee – unless your claim is successful.
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