blog home Senior Safety Some falls shouldn’t happen: Is your loved one’s nursing home safe enough?

Some falls shouldn’t happen: Is your loved one’s nursing home safe enough?

By Ken Gibson on February 10, 2017

Falls are common among the elderly. Reduced strength, reaction time, vision, and balance, along with increased injury and disease, can all contribute to an elderly person falling.

However, many more falls happen to seniors living in nursing homes, than seniors living in private homes. In fact, almost 75 percent of nursing home residents fall each year — more than double the rate for the elderly in general. Seniors are also four times more likely to die from falls and fall complications in a nursing home than they are at home.

To be fair, seniors in nursing homes are often much older and in worse health than those in private homes. Even so, many nursing homes could prevent many of the falls that happen.

In too many situations though, nursing homes are understaffed to save costs, resulting in employees who may be stressed, overworked, or undertrained. Proper foot care, shoes, and walking aids for the residents may also be neglected. Poor lighting and slippery or littered floors may go unaddressed. Incorrect bed heights and faulty bed rails can also be to blame. In these situations, the risk of falls is greatly increased.

Falls not only cause physical harm to seniors; they cause emotional and psychological damage. The fear of falling may cause a senior to lose function, withdraw socially, and suffer depression.

If your loved one has fallen in a nursing home and you have concerns, discuss them with an experienced nursing home negligence attorney at GibsonSingleton. Call 804-413-6777.