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You walk into your loved one’s nursing home room and something’s wrong. Maybe she winces when you help her shift position. Maybe you notice an angry red mark on her hip that wasn’t there last week. When you lift the blanket, you find a pressure wound that makes your stomach drop. Bed sores don’t just happen. They’re preventable, and when they develop, it usually means someone isn’t doing their job. Staff should be turning immobile residents every two hours, checking skin conditions, and making sure residents get proper nutrition and stay hydrated. When these things don’t happen, pressure ulcers form. And they can get bad fast.
What You’re Actually Looking At
Pressure ulcers develop on bony spots. Heels, hips, shoulders, the tailbone. Anywhere skin presses against bone for too long without relief. Medical professionals classify them in four stages, starting with redness that doesn’t go away when you press it and ending with deep craters that expose muscle, tendon, or even bone.
If your loved one has anything beyond that initial stage, the facility missed something they should’ve caught. Stage 2 means the skin’s already broken. Stage 3 and 4? That’s serious neglect.
Watch for these warning signs:
- Wounds or unusual pressure marks you can’t explain
- Your loved one’s lying in soiled sheets or clothing
- Rapid weight loss or signs of dehydration
- Staff members who get defensive or can’t answer basic questions about daily care
- Difficulty getting access to medical records when you ask
Start Building Your Case Now
Don’t wait to document what you’re seeing. Pull out your phone and photograph every wound from different angles. Include something in the frame that shows the date. Write down everything you observe during your visits, and we mean everything. How many staff members are on the floor? What’s the condition of the room? How does your loved one look compared to last time?
In these situations, you have the right to see your loved one’s medical records. You can request copies of their charts, their care/treatment plan, as well as any of the facility’s incident reports involving your loved one. They’ll try to keep these records from you, but you’re entitled to their information.
Start keeping a detailed log. Every conversation with staff, every concern you raise, every promise they make. Get names, write down dates, and note what was said. If your loved one can tell you what’s been happening, document their account too. All of this matters if you end up taking legal action.
Filing With Texas State Agencies
Texas has standards nursing homes must meet. When they don’t, you can report them to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. You can file online through the HHSC complaint portal or call them directly at 1-800-458-9858.
HHSC takes these complaints seriously. They’ll investigate within 10 days for serious allegations like bed sore neglect. Their investigators show up unannounced, interview staff, review records, and examine conditions. You’ll get updates about what they find.
There’s another option that can help. The Texas Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates specifically for nursing home residents. They can visit your loved one, help mediate problems with the facility, and make sure you understand what protections exist under state law. Think of them as your loved one’s voice when they can’t speak up for themselves.
When To Involve Law Enforcement
Some situations go beyond regulatory violations. If the bed sores are severe, if your loved one’s been hospitalized because of them, if you believe the neglect rises to the level of criminal conduct, you need to call Dallas police.
Texas Penal Code §22.04 makes it a felony to cause injury to elderly individuals through neglect. That’s a criminal matter, not just an administrative one.
You should also contact Adult Protective Services. Call the Texas APS hotline at 1-800-252-5400. APS investigators can assess whether your loved one is in immediate danger. They have the authority to arrange emergency placement if the situation is that serious.
Why You Need A Dallas Nursing Home Bed Sore Lawyer
Filing complaints with state agencies addresses regulatory violations. It might result in fines or sanctions against the facility. But it won’t compensate your family for what you’ve been through. It won’t cover the additional medical bills, the pain your loved one’s experienced, or the trauma of watching someone you care about suffer from preventable wounds.
At Kelso Law, we dig into how this happened. Who was responsible for your loved one’s care? What policies did the facility have in place, and where did they break down? Were there staffing shortages? Inadequate training? A pattern of neglect affecting other residents?
A Dallas nursing home bed sore lawyer reviews the medical records, talks to staff if possible, and consults with medical experts about the level of care your loved one should’ve received. We handle the legal side while you focus on getting your family member the treatment they need now.
Insurance companies representing these facilities will try to minimize what happened. They’ll suggest the bed sores were unavoidable or that your loved one’s medical conditions made them impossible to prevent. That’s rarely true, and we know how to counter those arguments.
Don’t Wait To Take Action
Every day that passes is another day your loved one might be suffering. It’s another day, and other residents in that facility could be experiencing the same neglect.
We get it. You’re already overwhelmed. You’re managing medical appointments, possibly looking for a different facility, and dealing with the emotional weight of seeing someone you love in this condition. Adding a legal process on top of everything else feels like too much.
But you don’t have to handle this alone. If your loved one’s developed bed sores in a Dallas nursing home, contact a Dallas nursing home bed sore lawyer who can walk you through what comes next. We’ll explain your options, answer your questions, and help you decide on the best path forward. Your loved one deserves accountability, and your family deserves answers.
