When you trust a nursing home to care for your loved one, you expect basic safety measures to be in place. Discovering that your family member has developed a serious, preventable infection can be frightening, infuriating, and heartbreaking. Nursing home infections are a leading cause of hospitalization and death among elderly residents, and many are entirely preventable with proper care.
If your loved one has suffered a serious infection at a Charleston-area nursing home, you do not have to face this alone. Our experienced Charleston nursing home abuse lawyers at Briggs Law Group LLC offer free consultations and can help you understand whether negligence played a role. Call 843-242-0282 to discuss your situation.
Why Nursing Home Residents are Vulnerable to Infections
Nursing home residents face a unique combination of risk factors that make them especially susceptible to infection. Most residents have weakened immune systems due to age, chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, or medications that suppress immune function.
Beyond individual health factors, the nursing home environment itself poses risks. Residents live in close quarters, share common spaces, and often depend on staff for personal hygiene. Medical equipment, such as catheters, feeding tubes, and wound dressings, can introduce bacteria directly into the body if not handled properly. These conditions mean that even a minor lapse in care can lead to a dangerous infection.
Common Nursing Home Infections to Watch for
Several types of infections frequently affect nursing home residents, and each carries serious health consequences.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common nursing home infections, often caused by improper catheter care or infrequent hygiene assistance. Left untreated, a UTI can spread to the kidneys or bloodstream.
Pneumonia is a leading cause of death in nursing home populations. Poor oral hygiene, aspiration risks, and failure to vaccinate residents all contribute to outbreaks.
MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a dangerous, antibiotic-resistant staph infection that spreads quickly in facilities with poor sanitation or inadequate hand hygiene.
C. difficile (C. diff) causes severe diarrhea and intestinal inflammation, often triggered by antibiotic overuse or unsanitary conditions. It spreads rapidly in institutional settings.
Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection becomes life-threatening, damaging organs and tissues. It often results from untreated infections, such as UTIs, pneumonia, or infected wounds.
Wound infections from bedsores develop when pressure ulcers are not properly treated. Bedsores are themselves a sign of neglect, and when they become infected, the consequences can be fatal.
Influenza outbreaks can sweep through a facility quickly when proper screening, vaccination, and isolation procedures are not followed.
How Infections Spread in Nursing Home Facilities
Most nursing home infections do not happen by accident. They spread because of preventable failures in basic care protocols.
Insufficient hand hygiene and sanitation
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent the transmission of infection. When staff members do not wash their hands between patients, or when shared surfaces and equipment are not properly disinfected, bacteria and viruses spread from resident to resident.
Improper wound care and delayed treatment
When bedsores and surgical wounds are not cleaned and dressed according to medical standards, infection is almost inevitable. Equally dangerous is delayed treatment. When a resident shows early signs of infection and staff fail to act quickly, a treatable condition can escalate into sepsis or worse.
Understaffing and poor infection control
Facilities without sufficiently trained staff simply cannot maintain the hygiene, monitoring, and isolation protocols necessary to prevent infections. Corners get cut, symptoms get missed, and infections spread.
Warning Signs Families Should Watch For
You know your loved one better than anyone. Trust your instincts if something seems wrong, and watch for these warning signs during visits.
- Fever or chills: Even low-grade, can signal infection.
- Sudden confusion or agitation: Especially in someone who is normally alert.
- Changes in behavior: Withdrawal, increased sleepiness, or loss of appetite.
- Wound issues: Redness, swelling, drainage, or foul odor from bedsores or surgical sites.
- Breathing problems: Coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath.
- Changes in urination: Pain, frequency, or unusual odor.
If you notice these symptoms, ask the facility’s nursing staff directly what is happening and what treatment is being provided. Document everything you observe, including dates, symptoms, and staff responses.
When a Nursing Home Infection May Indicate Negligence
Not every infection means the facility did something wrong. However, when a facility fails to follow accepted standards of care, and that failure leads to a preventable infection, it may constitute negligence.
Under South Carolina law, medical malpractice involves doing that which a reasonably prudent health care provider or health care institution would not do in similar circumstances. Nursing homes are explicitly defined as health care institutions under South Carolina’s medical malpractice statutes.
Signs that an infection may have resulted from negligence include:
- Repeated infections in the same resident without changes to the care plan
- Bedsores that were not prevented, treated, or reported to the family
- Failure to follow hand hygiene or isolation protocols during known outbreaks
- Delayed response to obvious symptoms of infection
- Insufficient staffing levels that prevent proper resident care
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5), actions for injury to a person must generally be filed within three years. Do not wait to explore your options, because critical evidence can disappear over time.
Protecting Your Loved One’s Rights
If you believe your family member’s infection was caused by nursing home negligence, you have the right to seek accountability. Compensation in these cases can cover medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages your loved one has endured.
South Carolina requires that, before filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, the plaintiff must file a Notice of Intent to File Suit along with an affidavit from a qualified witness. These procedural requirements make it important to speak with an attorney early, so your case is handled correctly from the start.
Briggs Law Group LLC handles medical malpractice and nursing home abuse cases in the Charleston area and understands both the medical complexities and the emotional toll these situations take on families. Your consultation is completely free, and there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Call 843-242-0282 today to discuss your loved one’s situation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Home Infections
How do I know if my loved one’s infection was caused by negligence?
Look for patterns: recurring infections, untreated bedsores, or a facility that seems chronically understaffed. An attorney experienced in nursing home cases can review medical records to determine whether the standard of care was met. Briggs Law Group LLC offers free consultations to help families understand their options.
What should I do if I suspect my loved one has an untreated infection?
Request an immediate medical evaluation from the facility. If you are not satisfied with their response, take your loved one to an outside doctor or the emergency room. Document everything, including photos of any wounds and notes about symptoms you have observed. Then contact an attorney to discuss your concerns.
How long do I have to take legal action?
Under S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530, South Carolina generally allows three years to file a personal injury claim. However, the specific timeline can depend on when the harm was discovered. The sooner you reach out, the better your chances of preserving important evidence.
If your loved one has suffered a serious infection in a Charleston-area nursing home, Briggs Law Group LLC is here to help. Call 843-242-0282 for a free consultation. You do not pay unless we recover compensation for your family.