Nursing home residents are vulnerable to falls. Falls can be detrimental to your loved one’s health and can even be fatal. According to the CDC, one in five falls causes serious injury like a head injury or broken bone. These falls can also be more likely due to negligence in a nursing home. If you suspect that your loved one has suffered a fall due to nursing home negligence or abuse, please contact us immediately. We will be able to get the answers and seek compensation that your loved one needs to compensate them for their pain and suffering.
Falls call cause head injuries which can be very serious, especially if your loved one is taking certain medications (such as blood thinners). An elderly person who falls should talk to their doctor promptly to make sure they don’t have a brain injury. Falls can also cause fractures such as hip fractures, knee fractures, elbow fractures, or arm fractures.
Falls may also be caused by the layout or structure of a nursing home. These falls are caused by the nursing home because there are obstacles in the facility that may cause a resident to fall. Another facility-related cause could be a wet floor that is not properly blocked off or placed with the proper warning sign. These cases are directly caused by the nursing home facility and staff.
Another cause of falls is lack of proper staffing in the facility. In a nursing home facility where residents do not receive enough care, they may attempt to do things alone (such as moving around unsupervised or trying to use the bathroom without assistance) which puts them at risk for falls. This is another instance where neglect by staff members puts your loved one at higher risk of falling in a nursing home.
Injuries caused by a fall can limit the mobility of a nursing home resident and take away from their quality of life. Falls that go unreported or are not properly treated are a sign of nursing home negligence and nursing home abuse. All falls should be reported, and you should be informed of what the nursing home staff is doing to treat your loved one and help to prevent falls in the future. All falls should be taken extremely seriously due to the potential for major injuries, lessened quality of life, or even death.
There are several factors that make an elderly person more likely to fall. This includes vision problems, difficulties with walking and balance, home hazards such as uneven or broken steps or items that are easy to trip over such as rugs. Use of medicines such as antidepressants, tranquilizers, or sedatives, weakness in the lower body, and a deficiency in Vitamin D.
In order to prevent falls, it is important to have you and your loved one talk to their doctor, get their eyes checked, make sure their environment at the nursing home is free of obstacles or items they could trip over, and do strength and balance exercises. These steps will help keep your loved one more safe and secure from falls.
If your loved one does fall in a nursing home, make sure that the fall is properly reported by the nursing home. Ensure that your loved one is seen by their doctor to assess any fractures and make sure your loved one does not have a brain injury. Talk with nursing home staff to assess what is being done to prevent another fall and make sure that your loved one is being cared for properly.
If you suspect that your loved one is the victim of negligence or abuse in a nursing home due to a fall, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will fight for your loved one’s welfare and to get them the compensation they need. Call 918-728-8888 today.
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