What Are the Stages of a Bedsore or Decubitus Ulcer?

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Decubitus ulcers, or bed sores ,are one of the most common forms of nursing home neglect. They are often caused when a patient is not turned on a regular basis resulting in pressure on the bony prominences of the body. The pressure reduces the blood flow to the area causing the surrounding tissue to die. Decubitus ulcers are usually located on the lower back near the tail bone, upper back near the shoulder blade area, buttocks, heels, knees, elbows, and sometimes ankles.

There are four generally accepted stages of bedsores; however, a fifth stage is sometimes used to explain exceptionally deep decubitus ulcers. The descriptions are as follows:

Stage I – A Stage I decubitus ulcers usually appears as a red spot on the skin that fails to disappear once the pressure from the area is relieved. It may appear as a small rash. Stage I decubitus ulcers can usually be eliminated with proper treatment and turning by the healthcare provider.

Stage II – A Stage II decubitus ulcer may appear as a small blister or slightly broken skin. A Stage II should be carefully monitored by the healthcare staff. The staff may provide additional conditioning of the skin and may request an air mattress to alleviate the pressure on the affected area. Stage II decubitus ulcers are sometimes unavoidable depending on the patient’s condition and co-morbidities.

Stage III – A Stage III decubitus ulcer usually appears as an open wound on the patient and looks like a crater in the skin. The skin is open and the depth is usually a quarter of an inch or more. Immediate medical attention and treatment should be provided to the patient. It depends on the overall health of the patient, but the patient’s healthcare provider may be negligent if they allow a decubitus ulcer to progress to Stage III.

Stage IV or Unstageable – A stage IV decubitus ulcer is characterized by having passed through the skin into tendons, muscles and bones. A Stage IV decubitus ulcer requires immediate wound care and usually surgery to debride or rid the wound of the dying tissue. Often a thick black, dry tissue will cover the wound causing it to be unstageable. Amputation may be necessary if the ulcer is on an extremity. One of the major complications of a Stage IV decubitus ulcer is sepsis or a whole body infection that attacks the organs of the body and which can lead to death. Usually, the healthcare provider is negligent for allowing a patient’s decubitus ulcer to progress to Stage IV.

Stage V – A Stage V decubitus ulcer can be any size and is known for the depth it has penetrated into the underlying bone and possibly other organs. A Stage V decubitus ulcer is almost impossible to heal.

If you think you have a loved one suffering from bed sores contact us immediately to see how we can help stop this unnecessary neglect.

What is Sepsis?

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Sepsis, or septicemia is a potentially fatal illness that occurs when the body reacts to infection that has spread throughout the body. Sepsis is most commonly seen in the elderly or in young children, but may occur at any age.

Symptoms

Symptoms of sepsis usually include, but aren’t limited to: fever, increased heart rate, decreased urine output, pain in joints, confusion and low blood pressure. Sepsis may be seen in patients who have had pneumonia, urinary tract infections, ruptured appendix and meningitis. It is critical that if signs of sepsis are seen to notify the appropriate medical personnel.

Causes

The most common cause for sepsis is an infection that spreads. The body’s reaction to infection is inflammation. Usually the body will create the necessary chemicals to fight the inflammation and infection. However, in patients who become septic their entire body may become inflamed causing the body to overreact. This overreaction causes small blood clots to form throughout the body. The body works harder to break up these clots but when unable to do so the body’s organs lack the necessary oxygen and begin to fail.

Treatment

Early detection of sepsis is key to survival. If identified early enough, sepsis may be treated with the use of intravenous fluids (IVs), antibiotics and removal or sanitation of the infected area and source. Without proper treatment sepsis can become severe and eventually lead to septic shock causing death.

According to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences , “every year, severe sepsis strikes about 750,000 Americans. It’s been estimated that between 28 percent and 50 percent of these people die—far more than the number of U.S. deaths from prostate cancer, breast cancer, and AIDS combined.”

If you believe a loved one has died or been seriously injured by the failure of a medical facility to properly diagnose sepsis or other illness, contact us today to see how we may be able to help.

For further information on sepsis visit:

U.S. National Library of Medicine
The Mayo Clinic

What Happens After My Free Bankruptcy Consultation?

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After your free bankruptcy consultation, you may choose to sign a contract.  We will thoroughly explain each section of the contract, answer any other questions that you may have and allow you as much time as necessary to review our work agreement.  At this time we can set you up on an easy payment plan, which allows you to give us an estimate of a time frame of when you expect to file and allows you to make payments toward the attorney fees.

We will then give you your paperwork, along with an example of the paperwork as a quick reference guide.  We will explain in detail the documents needed to file, and the process of turning them in.  Lastly, you’ll get an email contact of someone in the office should you have any further questions.  No matter what, we want you to be as informed as possible and we want this process to be smooth and efficient for you!

In other words, you choose what the next steps are after your consultation.  You may choose to file bankruptcy with our law firm or you may wish to think about some of your options.  Again, we are here to answer questions as they come about.  We hope we get the opportunity to earn your business and we look forward to working with you. Contact us to get your fresh financial start today!

Important Issues When Completing Your Bankruptcy Paperwork

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The foundation of your bankruptcy starts with your paperwork.  We find it easier to gather all of your documents and then start to fill out your workbook.  When gathering all of your documents, make sure that they are all there.  We would rather receive too much information than not enough.  The documents themselves determine quite a few things in your bankruptcy- your pay determines whether you qualify for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or not;  or how much you can pay back in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  Papers from the purchase of vehicles show whether or not to pay the car back in full or at the value of the vehicle.  These all have an impact on your bankruptcy plan.  Sometimes one piece of paper can save you several hundred dollars in your Chapter 13 plan  (well worth the effort of gathering them!).

Make sure that you list anything and everything that is in your possession, especially if there is a papertrail to it; we will try to protect everything that you have.  Leaving things out only hurts you in the future.  You definitely do not want to be called to court because you were trying to keep a possession hidden.   List all creditors’ account numbers and addresses; if they cannot locate your account, it may not be taken care of.  Above all, just make sure to fill out the workbook completely; if it is not filled out, we will ask for the answer either way,  it makes it less work for you if it is done correctly in the first place.

How Terry Duncan Began Practicing Bankruptcy Law

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Many times people have asked me why I have chosen bankruptcy as one of the fields of law to practice.

I have to be honest with you, when I started law school in Texas I didn’t know the slightest thing about bankruptcy. I started law school with the intention of having a trial litigation practice. For a short while in law school I worked for a trial litigation group owned by attorney Gary Dobbs and psychologist Phil McGraw. That’s right, Dr. Phil, of TV fame. Both were very nice guys. I soon learned the cold hard facts that there were many months of trial preparation for just a few days of actual trial. I had watched many different TV shows in which every week the attorney had a new exciting trial to battle for justice for his client. I soon realized in reality most trial attorneys only have an actual trial only several times each year. Most of their time was spent on technical matters and the discovery process of the trial.

As my law school studies progressed I wanted more daily interaction with real people. One day I was checking what law classes were available for the next semester. It turned out there was a bankruptcy course scheduled exactly between two other courses I was taking. I thought I would take the course and learn the basics of bankruptcy. As I was taking the course and learning about Chapter 7 bankruptcy and Chapter 13 bankruptcy laws I began to enjoy the class.

When I graduated law school and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to eventually open my own law practice, I listed bankruptcy as one of my fields of practice. At that time, I believed bankruptcy would only be a small percentage of my law practice. However, as time progressed so did the bankruptcy practice. I would represent one client and they would refer me to their friends, co-workers, and family. Eventually the majority of my law practice was Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Unlike some corporate law attorneys that usually see one client every week, I would see many different clients each day. Each client would have their own unique story of their road to their current situation. It was a great personal pleasure for me to help the client and relieve the enormous financial pressure the client was under.

In conclusion, this is how I became involved in the bankruptcy law practice. I still do nursing home abuse, medical malpractice, and workers’ compensation, but the majority of my business is helping people with Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

I hope that if you are looking for a bankruptcy lawyer you will contact us.  I work in our Charlotte, NC bankruptcy office but my son and daughter-in-law work in our Greensboro , NC bankruptcy law firm.  We hope to earn your business.

What is the Means Test in Bankruptcy?

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With major changes in the bankruptcy laws in 2005, you are required to undergo a “means test.” Simply put, your household’s income for the six months prior to filing bankruptcy (your income, your spouse’s income and any contribution to your household from others) is annualized and compared to the Census Bureau’s median income for the same size household within your state.

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Duncan Law – Bankruptcy Attorneys with Free Consultation and Payment Plan

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Many of those going through financially tough times face a catch-22 when it comes to filing bankruptcy.  Someone looking to file bankruptcy usually has more debt than they do money.  Therefore, liquid cash is at a premium.

Bankruptcy prices in North Carolina and across the nation can range anywhere between $1,200 to $4,000.  Many attorneys require that their clients pay in one lump sum and pay before any work is done on their bankruptcy.  That means too often someone interested in filing for bankruptcy has to pay the full amount before an attorney will even sit down with them.

At Duncan Law we are different.  At Duncan Law we offer a free consultation and, more importantly, a payment plan.

Free Consultation – when you set up an initial appointment with Duncan Law it is free of charge.  No strings attached.  Our top priority is to make sure that our clients are happy and only file bankruptcy if they need to.  We know that if we treat those who come in to see us the way we would want to be treated, they will refer others to us, even if together we decide bankruptcy isn’t the best route for them.  At your free initial consultation you will get quality information and guidance from one of our attorneys that will help you make a decision that best fits your situation.  Go ahead, set up your free consultation by contacting Duncan Law today.

Easy Payment Plan – we are confident that at Duncan Law we have competitive attorneys fees that offer great value and service.  We also allow YOU to set up a payment plan that works on your schedule.  Whether it is two lump sums or several payments over a few months we work with you to make sure that you are able to get fresh financial start.  However, by law we have to have all of the attorney’s fees paid in full before we are able to file your bankruptcy. Despite this, we are willing to work with you on your bankruptcy before the full fees are paid.  This can help harassing phone calls that you may be receiving.   Contact us to learn more about our payment plan and how we can help you get a new start in these tough times!