What causes falls in nursing homes?
Many people contact us when their loved one in a nursing home suffers a fall. For anyone whose health is already fragile, a fall can be catastrophic and greatly impact other health problems they may have. It can also be a red flag that something happened that should not have happened and a good reason to further investigate the reason for the fall to protect your loved one.
Not every fall in a nursing home or hospital setting is the result of negligence. But nursing homes contain risks that put residents at a greater risk for a fall. And in the event of a fall, these establishments could be held liable for their failure to provide for the safety of those entrusted to their care.
Falls may not be of particular concern to the young and healthy, but to elderly or frail individuals, a fall can be catastrophic, triggering a cascade of ill effects that could greatly reduce that person’s quality of life or ability to function independently. And when a fall occurs in the very place where people are supposed to be receiving attentive care, the feeling of betrayal can be enormous, and also, in some cases, justified.
COMMON REASONS FOR A NURSING HOME FALL
Reasons for falls can vary. But nursing homes can contribute to the risk for falls when the environment itself is a danger, because of such elements as:
- Wet floors
- Low lighting
- Inappropriate bed height
- Lack of grab bars or handrails
- Use of restraints
Medications can also prove to be a fall risk; particularly when residents are changing medications or dosages. Poor foot care, ill-fitting shoes and a failure to use hip pads can also create unnecessary risk for people who are at risk of falls.
As people age and become more frail, falls present more of a risk to health and quality of life. Some of these falls can be prevented with appropriate safety measures in nursing homes. When facilities fail to take proper safety precautions, putting residents at risk for falls, they open themselves to the risk of litigation.
KNOW THE NURSING HOME’S FALL HISTORY
Our firm knows a lot about the history of many Ohio nursing homes and anyone with a loved in one who has suffered a fall is wise and well within their rights to further investigate when a fall happens. We know that not every fall is the fault of the nursing home but knowing whether this is a common occurrence at a facility is important information you need to decide what steps to take next.
We want to help you protect your loved one and let your know that you don’t have to go it alone. Our knowledge of the history or track-record of many of the nursing homes in Ohio may help you take the steps needed to find out what happened and why.
It could be an isolated incident or it could be part of a bigger problem and you have a right to know what happened. Don’t just accept that these things just happen. Find out what really happened and ask us about the nursing home that it happened in. We may be able to help you protect your loved one from further risk of harm or least give you some insights on what your next step should be. Just call us…you’re not alone.
Learn More About Nursing Home Abuse
We have helped educate and represent many other Ohio residents who have found themselves in this unfortunate situation and we would be happy to send you more information to help you if this is something you suspect is happening to your loved one. Elder abuse in nursing homes has become a too common problem for many reasons we will explain but if you need more answers,
For more information on NURSING HOME NEGLIGENCE OR ABUSE, click here:
Protecting Ohio Seniors
Howard Skolnick
Attorney at Law
For over two decades, I have zealously represented seriously injured clients in both the Ohio State and Federal Courts, litigating cases involving a variety of causes of action, such as wrongful death, birth/brain injuries, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, product liability, motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, bad-faith litigation against insurance companies, animal and dog bites, boating and water accidents and pedestrian accidents. I truly care and I am passionate about my clients. If you need help, it would be my honor to help you or a loved one rebuild your life and seek justice.