Falls are among the most common causes of accidental injury and death in the United States. What makes falls so dangerous is that they can essentially happen to anyone.
Nonetheless, there is no doubt that elderly people are especially vulnerable to this type of accident. When elderly people find it difficult to cope with day-to-day living on their own, they are often placed in nursing home facilities. These facilities are responsible for the care and well-being of residents. While most of these facilities do a satisfactory job of meeting their care obligations, there is a minority who let elderly people down.
Outlined below are some of the more common causes of falls in nursing homes:
A lack of safety measures
While there are some elderly individuals who manage to keep their mobility, many struggle to move around on their own. Even a short trip to the bathroom can be relatively difficult. Nursing homes need to ensure that they have adequate safety measures for preventing falls. For instance, safety rails should be fitted in sweets where disabled people reside. There should also be an alarm that can alert staff if something has gone wrong. This could be the difference between a person making a recovery or suffering a fatal fall.
A lack of care
It is up to nursing home staff to monitor the condition of residents. Some falls occur when an elderly individual becomes distressed, upset or confused. If the staff has failed to notice that a resident is struggling, or they have noticed but subsequently failed to act, then they could be held liable for any injuries that result from a fall.
Handing the care of your elderly relatives is a major decision and they deserve to be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. If a nursing home has failed in this regard, it’s probably in your best interests to seek some legal guidance about your right to fair compensation.
