Nursing homes can prevent falls by providing adequate supervision, minimizing hazardous conditions, and creating and following a specific health care plan for each resident. Taking these precautions significantly reduces the risk of falls for nursing home residents.
Falls are the most common cause of injury for elderly people, and most falls occur in nursing homes. The vast majority of these falls are preventable, and with the right precautions, a facility can protect its residents from fall-related injuries.
Often, falls occur when a resident tries to do something – such as use the bathroom – without assistance. If a nursing home is understaffed, a patient may not receive the individualized care he or she requires. If no one is on hand to assist, or if a resident calls for assistance and no one answers, he or she may try to perform the action unassisted, which often leads to a fall. To prevent this from occurring, nursing homes should hire enough staff members who possess the needed knowledge and experience, and staff should be alert and on-hand in case of emergency.
Conditions like low lighting or slippery floors often cause elderly people to fall, so nursing homes should eliminate these conditions as much as possible in order to prevent falls among their residents.
Additionally, nursing homes need to develop a personalized health care plan for each resident, taking notice of conditions that might make a resident more likely to fall. For instance, if a patient is prone to dizziness, is especially weak, or is sight impaired, a nursing home can counter that by providing constant supervision, adding guard rails to the resident’s bed, setting beds and other furniture at a safe height, and providing walkers and other equipment.
Nursing homes have a legal duty to use reasonable care to prevent falls. If a nursing home fails to take the right precautions, and a resident sustains injuries from a fall, then that facility may be liable for any related medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, and pain and suffering.
If your loved one developed injuries from a fall at a nursing home or assisted living facility, and you are wondering if you have a claim, please feel free to call and speak to one of our experienced Georgia nursing home neglect lawyers today. Our consultations are always free. If you would like more information about this topic, be sure to click on our other videos, or better yet, click the subscribe button to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Thank you.
