How to Determine if a Fall in a Nursing Home Caused Your Loved One’s Injuries
When you admit your loved one into a nursing home, you trust that they will receive the proper care, support, and supervision they require. Unfortunately, many nursing homes fail to provide the proper quality of care that is expected of them. One of the most distressing and alarming issues that arise in nursing homes is falls among senior residents.
When elderly individuals fall, it is a much more serious problem than when a younger person falls. In fact, the mortality rate for seniors who fall is 9.6 percent after the first 30 days and 33 percent after a period of one year. If you believe your loved one fell in a nursing home due to neglect, you have legal options. Below, our Tampa falling incidents attorney explains more.
What Causes Falls in Nursing Homes?
Slip and falls happen for many reasons in nursing homes. Often, they are a sign of neglect. Some of the most common causes of falls in nursing homes are as follows:
- Inadequate supervision: When nursing home residents try to perform tasks they cannot perform on their own, they are more likely to fall. Nursing home staff members should always provide adequate supervision to prevent these falls from occurring.
- Insufficient staffing: Nursing homes are notoriously understaffed. Insufficient staffing may mean that nursing home residents do not receive the necessary assistance with activities such as getting out of bed or walking.
- Failure to recognize individual needs: Every nursing home resident has unique risk factors. These factors should be included in care plans to avoid preventable falls.
- Inadequate use of mobility aids: Patients who require mobility aids such as canes, walkers, or wheelchairs should have access to them and be taught how to use them properly. When they are not accessible or residents do not know how to use them, they could suffer a serious fall.
Signs of a Fall in a Nursing Home
Loved ones cannot be with their family members around the clock when they are in a nursing home and so, it is important to know the most common signs of falls in these facilities. This can help you determine if the facility was negligent so you can hold them liable. The most common signs of a falls in nursing homes include:
- Physical injuries such as bruises or broken bones, particularly if they appear suddenly and without a valid explanation
- Mobility challenges, such as difficulty walking
- Behavioral and emotional changes, as falls can have psychological impacts
- Unexplained pain, particularly in the limbs, hips, or back
- Inconsistent explanations from staff members about sudden injuries
- Changes in care plans, such as changes in medication or increased monitoring
Our Falling Incidents Attorney in Tampa Can Help After Injury
If you suspect that your loved one has fallen in a nursing home, our Tampa falling incidents attorney at Kohn Law can determine if it was due to negligence. If so, we can also help your loved one obtain the full and fair damages they deserve. Call us today at 813-428-8504 or contact us online to schedule a consultation and to learn more about how we can help.
Sources:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9912659/#:~:text=Roche et al., were more prevalent than fatal.
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0400/0400.html
