Can I Sue If My Elderly Loved One Got Sepsis in a Nursing Home?

 Posted on May 08, 2025 in Personal Injury

Sepsis, often referred to as blood poisoning, is the body’s most extreme response to infection and is a life-threatening condition, especially among the elderly. Severe cases of sepsis can lead to septic shock, organ damage from a dramatic drop in blood pressure, and death. Since sepsis is often the result of untreated infections and poor hygiene practices, it can indicate nursing home neglect.

Because the death risk for sepsis is so high (50 percent), it must be diagnosed promptly and treated immediately. Sepsis itself is not contagious, but the underlying infections that cause sepsis may be. This is why it is so important for nursing home staff to take proper measures to prevent the spread of infections. Families who lose elderly loved ones to sepsis should seek legal counsel.

An Illinois family was awarded $500,000 after their 69-year-old loved one died from sepsis resulting from untreated bedsores. If your loved one became very ill or died from sepsis while in a nursing home, contacting a Rock Island County, IL nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer can be the best first step in the process.  

Which Patients Have the Highest Risk of Developing Sepsis While in a Nursing Home?

The biggest risk factor for sepsis is age; older adults are five times more likely to develop severe sepsis than younger adults, and those in nursing homes are seven times more likely than non-nursing home residents to develop severe sepsis.

Any adult over the age of 65 has a significantly increased risk of developing sepsis, especially when a nursing home does not practice good hygiene. Other risk factors for nursing home sepsis include:

•  Patients with chronic liver or kidney disease
• Patients who spend long amounts of time in the hospital
• Patients who have been taking antibiotics or using corticosteroids, especially for a long period of time
• Patients who have breathing tubes, catheters, or other invasive devices
• Patients who have a compromised immune system  
• Patients with any type of chronic disease, like diabetes, especially when the disease is not properly managed

Why is Sepsis So Common in Nursing Homes?

Aside from the fact that most residents in nursing homes are older, there are other factors associated with sepsis risk in nursing homes. Complications from viral, fungal, or other types of infections – even the flu – can increase the risk of sepsis. Infections that are most likely to lead to sepsis include those that start in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, skin, or lungs.  Specifically, the following often lead to sepsis:

•  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph bacterium that is highly resistant to antibiotics and often leads to more serious infections.
• Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is responsible for pneumonia and bloodstream infections.
• Clostridioides difficile is a bacterium that causes severe diarrhea.
• Escherichia coli is a bacterium responsible for bloodstream infections and urinary tract infections.
•  Streptococcus (Strep) causes a wide variety of illnesses, the most recognizable of which is strep throat. Strep can also be responsible for sepsis and skin infections.  

Nursing home patients who have been in the hospital can acquire infections, bring them back to the nursing home, and pass them on to other residents.

How Can You Spot Sepsis in Your Elderly Loved One?

A person with sepsis may rapidly become very ill. Loved ones or nursing home staff may see altered mental status, complaints of extreme pain, cool hands and feet, sensitivity to light, rapid heart rate, high fever, lethargy, confusion, or nausea and vomiting. If any of these symptoms are noticed, the individual should be immediately tested for an infection. Some patients will develop a sepsis rash, which is a cluster of tiny spots that do not fade when pressed on.

Contact a DuPage County, IL Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Lawyer

If your loved one developed sepsis due to nursing home neglect, you can sue the nursing home for damages. Speaking to a highly experienced Chicago, IL nursing home abuse and neglect attorney from SpyratosDavis LLC can be extremely beneficial. We are focused on creating a winning strategy. Call 630-810-8881 to schedule an appointment and discuss your case.