When your loved one is in a nursing home, your one requirement is that they are cared for the way that they should be. They should have food and water, get their medications on time and be helped when they want to get dressed or use the restroom. You expect the staff to be educated enough to support your loved one in the way that they should be within the standard of care required by the industry.
Falls are one thing that you should not have to deal with, yet these impact many older adults in nursing homes. Fall management programs should be in place to prevent them, but some nursing homes have such limited staff that falls still happen. In other cases, the staff may not be prepared to deal with fall risks or may neglect or mistreat patients. All of these issues can lead to devastating falls and serious brain injuries.
Around half of all nursing home residents fall annually
There are around 1.6 million residents in nursing homes around the United States. Of them, approximately 1 in 3 falls two times or more annually. These falls are completely preventable once the facility knows that the patient is a fall risk.
Since approximately one in 10 victims of falls have serious injuries related to their falls, preventing falls is of the utmost importance.
Brain injuries and falls
Unfortunately, many victims who fall end up hitting their heads. They may have brain bleeds or subdural hematomas as a result of those falls, and those may lead to life-threatening circumstances.
After a fall, your loved one should be taken to the hospital for an assessment. They should be treated for a brain bleed if one exists or monitored for other damage to the head and brain.
You deserve help if your loved one has been harmed
Preventable falls are unacceptable in a nursing home or care home setting. If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a serious and nearly fatal fall, it’s important to look into the options you have for seeking compensation and protecting your loved one against harm in the future.
