Nursing Home Falls May Be the Result of Negligence

The individuals who reside in nursing homes often have specialized medical needs. They may need help with basic everyday tasks, including eating, bathing, or getting from place to place. In addition, many nursing home residents are older adults who have problems with mobility, requiring them to use aids like wheelchairs, walkers, or canes.

For this reason, nursing homes are staffed with individuals who should know how to care for residents who have trouble getting around and should also have fall safety features that ensure that residents are as safe as possible. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and every year a significant number of nursing home residents are seriously injured in accidents that could have been prevented.

Falls Can Result in Extremely Serious Injuries – Especially for Older Adults

Many nursing home residents are older adults, who, as a group, are more vulnerable to serious injuries in the event of a fall than others. Some of the injuries that older adults can often sustain in a nursing home fall include the following:

• • Hip fractures

• • Broken limbs

• • Traumatic brain injuries

• • Spinal cord injuries

• • Serious soft tissue injuries

• • Concussions

• Dislocations

Not only are older adults more vulnerable to falls and fall-related injuries, they also can take much longer to recover than younger people. For this reason, it is imperative for nursing homes to take appropriate measures to protect their residents from falls.

Examples of Nursing Home Negligence that Can Lead to Falls

While it certainly true that some nursing home resident falls are unavoidable, many are the result of the nursing home administrators and/or its staff failing to take appropriate measures to keep residents safe. When nursing homes fail to live up to their duty to provide adequate care, a safe environment, and/or to comply with federal and state regulations, injured residents can often recover compensation for the losses they experience. Some specific examples of nursing home negligence that can lead to resident falls include the following:

• • Failing to install bath and shower grab bars

• • Failing to keep walkways and common areas free from debris

• • Failing to install adequate lighting

• • Overmedicating residents

• • Failing to recognize when a patient may require a mobility aid

• • Understaffing

• • Hiring unqualified staff

• Failing to diagnose medical conditions that could affect balance or vision

These are just a few of the ways that the negligence of nursing home staff or administrators can lead to resident falls. As a loved one of a nursing home resident, it is important to keep in mind that not all instances of negligence are readily identifiable, so it is important to have the facts of every fall reviewed by an experienced lawyer to determine whether a legal claim can be filed.

Call Polito Law Today to Speak with a New London Nursing Home Injury Attorney

Falls that occur in nursing homes often entitle victims to significant compensation. The experienced lawyers at Polito Law will review the facts of your case for free and do everything we can to hold negligent nursing home staff and administrators liable for the injuries that they cause. To schedule a case evaluation with a lawyer, send us an email or call our office at 860-447-3300.