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New Orleans Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Representing Handling Bladder & Bowel Injury Claims
Holding Louisiana nursing homes accountable for bodily function disorders due to neglect
Seniors in nursing homes in New Orleans have to cope with many different bladder and bowel disorders. Common disorders include incontinence, constipation, and diarrhea. Complications may include infections, kidney disorders, and other dangers. Residents with these conditions are likely to have difficulty getting to the bathroom. Many will need to get up many times during the night to find some relief. Nursing homes need to help their residents with these disorders and complications by helping with various medications and nutrition, ensuring the residents don’t fall while rushing to the bathroom, and ensuring the residents receive competent medical care.
At Garcia & Artigliere, our elder care lawyers have been fighting for nursing home residents and seniors for a combined 150+ years. Our New Orleans nursing home abuse and neglect attorneys have helped thousands of clients obtain strong recoveries. In 2022, our lawyers obtained more than $50 million for our clients. We are skilled at showing what steps nursing homes should have taken to prevent bladder and bowel injuries. Our team works with urologists, proctologists, and other doctors who provide medical care for residents with bodily function disorders. Contact us now to discuss your right to hold a New Orleans nursing home accountable for bladder and bowel disorders.
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How can we help?
- What types of bladder illnesses do nursing home residents in New Orleans suffer?
- Are there treatments for bladder disorders in New Orleans?
- What types of bowel illnesses do nursing home residents in New Orleans suffer?
- Are there treatments for bladder disorders in New Orleans?
- How do your lawyers show a resident’s bladder or bowel disorders were due to neglect?
- What damages can a Louisiana nursing home resident with bladder or bowel disorders claim?
- Do you have a nursing home bladder or bowel lawyer injury near me?
What types of bladder illnesses do nursing home residents in New Orleans suffer?
Bladder disorders are one type of digestive disorder. Generally, bladder disorders are treated by urologists. According to New Orleans East Hospital, urologists focus on the urinary tract, which includes the kidneys, ureters, urethra, and bladder. The kidneys help to filter blood and create urine with travels through the uterus to the bladder where the urine is stored.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 50 to 65 percent of nursing home residents have urinary incontinence and more than half have fecal incontinence. Johns Hopkins Medicine states that normal bladder and bowel function requires that certain muscles tense up or relax depending on the quantity of urine or fecal matter, explaining, “Nerves in the spinal cord send messages from the brain to the bladder. Sphincter muscles control the flow of urine. Muscles in the rectum and anus control or release stool. These nerve and muscle processes allow urine and feces to be removed when you want them to.” Common bladder disorders, according to the Cleveland Clinic, include:
- Urinary incontinence. The resident can’t control his/her bladder. Urine leaks out when the resident isn’t ready to urinate.
- Overactive bladder. Here, the resident needs to urinate frequently. They may leak urine unintentionally.
- This is a bacterial infection that inflames the bladder. It’s usually due to a urinary tract infection (UTI).
- Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). This bladder condition causes pain and frequent or sudden urges to urinate.
- Bladder cancer. This condition may be fatal.
- Bladder stones. These are mineral clumps that affect residents who have difficulty emptying their bladder.
Symptoms of bladder disorders that nursing home staff in New Orleans should review with their residents include lack of bladder control, a burning sensation when urinating, cloudy or bloody pee, frequent urination, foul-smelling pee, an inability to empty the bladder, and pain during sex. Women may experience pelvic pain. Other bladder disorder symptoms include unexplained weight loss, chills and fever, and anemia.
Nursing homes in New Orleans need to recognize bladder symptoms in their residents and respond quickly to manage and treat them. Some bladder disorders may be deadly.
Are there treatments for bladder disorders in New Orleans?
Nursing home treatments may require in-house care, review by a staff physician or a family physician, or hospital care. There are various imaging tests, bacterial tests, tests for cancer, and other tests. The possible treatments, according to the Cleveland Clinic, include:
- Medications, including antibiotics
- Better nutrition
- Physical therapy
- Behavioral therapy
- Bladder strengthening exercises
- Regular bathroom schedules
- Surgery
Other treatments may include electronic stimulation and treatments for fighting cancer.
What types of bowel illnesses do nursing home residents in New Orleans suffer?
Common bowel disorders that residents of New Orleans nursing homes may develop include diarrhea, constipation, and fecal incontinence. Other bowel disorders include diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel disease (a long-term gastrointestinal disorder), and Crohn’s disease.
The Cleveland Clinic identifies fecal impaction as another bowel disorder that occurs when the feces back up inside the large intestine. Almost half of nursing home seniors will develop fetal impaction. This disorder is very painful. Nursing homes should take steps to prevent it. If fetal impaction is not treated, the bowel can perforate or bleed – either of which may be fatal.
Other digestive disorders include gastroenteritis which occurs when the stomach and intestines become inflamed due to a viral infection. Gastroenteritis is contagious, which means nursing homes in New Orleans need to ensure the residents wash their hands and that the water supply doesn’t become contaminated.
Are there treatments for bladder disorders in New Orleans?
Bowel disorder treatments vary depending on the type of disorder. Some disorders can be treated by the nursing home. Most times, the nursing home will need to consult with or ensure the resident sees a gerontologist, family doctor, bowel disorder specialist, or other doctors. The medical providers may need to manually empty the feces.
The treatments may include medications including drugs for inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotics to treat infections, and other medications. Loperamide is commonly used for diarrhea.
Laxatives and enemas may help with constipation and fecal incontinence.
The nursing home staff should review implementing fixed toilet schedules and more emphasis on eating a healthy diet.
How do your lawyers show a resident’s bladder or bowel disorders were due to neglect?
Louisiana nursing homes should have policies and procedures in place to prevent, examine, and treat bodily function disorders. Some of these policies include:
- Strategies to prevent and treat infections
- Knowing when and how to use a catheter
- Recognizing the symptoms of bladder or bowel disorders
- Consulting with medical professionals about how to prevent, monitor, and treat bladder and bowel disorders
- Preparing individual care plans for each resident
- Arranging for emergency medical transport to a local New Orleans ER department when required
What damages can a Louisiana nursing home resident with bladder or bowel disorders claim?
At Garcia & Artigliere, our New Orleans bowel and bladder disorder lawyers work with nursing home professionals and physicians who understand why nursing homes should be liable for bowel and bladder disorders or complications.
We demand that neglectful nursing homes pay for the residents’ medical expenses, pain and suffering, anxiety, embarrassment, and any financial damages.
We also file wrongful death claims on behalf of the family of a resident if the disorder was preventable.
Do you have a nursing home bladder or bowel lawyer injury near me?
Garcia & Artigliere represents New Orleans nursing home residents who suffer bladder or bowel disorders or when the disorders worsen due to improper treatment. We’ll explain your rights and guide the resident through the claims process.
Contact our Louisiana nursing home and bowel and bladder lawyers now
While it’s fairly common for seniors to have some problems, on occasion, using the bathroom facilities, it’s not common for seniors to have chronic or permanent bowel or bladder disorders. When nursing homes in New Orleans neglect a resident’s care, we hold them accountable for the physical and emotional harm they cause.
At Garcia & Artigliere, we’ve been fighting for the elderly. We have an impressive record of strong results. Call us or contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation. We maintain additional offices in Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Phoenix, and represent seniors across the United States. There are no upfront costs and we do not receive compensation – unless there is a settlement or a verdict in your favor.
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