Nursing Home Fall Injury Lawyer
Fall Injuries in Senior Care Facilities & Nursing Homes
Has your elderly loved one suffered a fall as a resident in a nursing home, assisted living facility, board and care facility, or another senior care center? Falls are more common in the elderly due to physical frailty, balance problems, overmedication, wrongly prescribed medications, cognitive problems, and other causes associated with age. Where a facility has not taken necessary precautions to prevent falls, their treatment programs are faulty, or where they are guilty of other types of negligence, they may be held liable for the injuries caused by a resident’s fall.
Facts About Falls With The Elderly
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), 25 percent of adults aged 65 and older fall every year. Deaths from older adult falls increased by 30 percent from 2007 through 2016. One out of every five falls will cause serious injury, such as a fractured bone or head injury. 95 percent of all hip fractures are caused by falls. In older adults, all of these types of injuries can be devastating and lead to prolonged treatment, complications, and even death.
The CDC identifies many risk factors for falls, such as:
- Scattered rugs, torn carpets, slippery floors, uneven steps
- Poor balance, difficulty walking
- Poor vision
- Medications such as sedatives, tranquilizers, sleep aids, antidepressants, blood pressure drugs
- Over the counter drugs such as cold and flu medicines, allergy medicines
- Physical weakness
An additional factor that may need to be looked into are the bruises, scrapes, and broken bones from alleged falls which may actually have been caused by physical abuse from a facility member, another resident, or guest.
