Falls

Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee

A Common Occurrence
Falls are the most common cause of fractures among elderly citizens. While elderly individuals are inherently more inclined to injury-causing falls, nursing homes should take the necessary measures to minimize potentially fatal falls. By providing adequate supervision, proper safety equipment, and thorough staff training, these facilities can help reduce the number of elderly falls that occur each year.

An average 100-bed nursing home reports between 100 to 200 falls annually. Many more falls are unreported. Experts estimate that about 75 percent of elderly residents suffer at least one fall per year, although the average patient falls more than twice in a calendar year.

Fragile Bones
Older residents are more likely to experience dangerous, even fatal falls. Their bones are fragile and take longer to heal than those of younger adults. A fall can happen simply because of an elderly person's age and their weakened muscles. However, other factors can lead to falls, including medical conditions, mobility issues and cardiovascular problems.

Some common risk factors for falls include:

• Previous falls
• Central nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, dementia and others
• Problems with mobility
• Low blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension) on
  standing up
• Bowel or bladder incontinence
• Dizziness
• Stroke or other mobility problems
• Dehydration
• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Visual impairment
• Use of restraints
• Medications

Nursing home employees are required to regularly assess patients to determine their likelihood of falling. If chances are high, the caregivers need to provide safety devices like hip padding and services such as lower beds with side alarms to minimize any injuries caused by a fall. Facilities should be equipped with adequate safety rails, and caregivers must be careful to properly transfer residents from the bed to chairs or lavatories, and during exercise. Poor training or a lack of supervision for new employees can cause elderly people to fall. For those who struggle to move on their own, these types of falls can be catastrophic.

If a resident does suffer a fall, he or she should be given proper medical care, even if the fall seems minor. A nursing home patient could break a hip or leg that is untreated and unnoticed because the patient is bedridden.

If you or someone you love has fallen and you think the nursing home may be to blame, please contact the nursing home negligence attorneys at Burke, Harvey & Frankowski. Serving the residents of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, our qualified lawyers can help you understand the law and fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Call or e-mail us today for a free consultation!

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