We trust nursing homes with the care of our older loved ones. As people act, the risk of injury increases. Not only are aging seniors more at risk of serious injury, but they also become more susceptible to accidents that lead to injury. Nursing homes are supposed to help provide a safe environment for seniors to take good care of them and help ensure that the risk of injury and worsening of health conditions is brought down to a bare minimum. Unfortunately, nursing homes do not always exercise the level of care they should. As a result of negligence in nursing homes and long term care facilities, residents are exposed to dangerous conditions that can have tragic consequences.
Common Nursing Home Injuries and their Causes
Some of the most common nursing home injuries include:
- Bedsores: This is probably one of the most well-known injuries associated with nursing home negligence. Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, develop when a resident with limited mobility has been lying in the same spot, unmoved, for an extended period of time. This leads to skin damage that can be so severe as to leave open sores that are vulnerable to infection.
- Bone fractures: Nursing home residents tend to have weaker bones as they age. This means that they are particularly at risk for broken bones should they be involved in something like a slip and fall. Hip and neck fractures tend to be particularly common. Spinal injuries are also common and often happen due to slip and falls.
- Concussions: A concussion is, essentially, a brain injury incurred due to trauma to the head. Like bone fractures, it is common for a nursing home resident to sustain a concussion as the result of a slip and fall.
- Bedrail injuries: While intended to keep residents safe by preventing them from falling out of bed, malfunctioning bedrails can lead to a person getting stuck between the mattress and the bedrail. This is extremely dangerous and may even prove fatal as it can lead to problems breathing and even cardiac arrest.
Unfortunately, there are some instances where a resident is injured as a result of nursing home abuse. This occurs when a staff member intentionally harms a resident. Other times, these injuries are a result of nursing home negligence. Negligence comes in many forms, but, legally speaking, it is a nursing home facility or its staff members failing to uphold the duty of care they owe to residents. Bedsores are a telltale sign of nursing home negligence because they will not develop if the proper measures are being implemented for residents with limited mobility. Helping the resident shift or turn over at frequent intervals relieves the pressure and works to prevent bedsores.
Falls also frequently occur due to negligent property conditions at a nursing home facility. If the facility and its staff fail to take due care in eliminating hazards on the property, residents can easily be injured in slip and falls. This population is already extremely vulnerable to slip and falls as there can be problems walking and muscle weakness. When you add in environmental hazards such as wet floors and poor lighting, the chance of a resident slipping and falling exponentially increase.
Nursing Home Neglect Attorney
If a loved one has been injured while in nursing home care, it may be the result of nursing home neglect. MPJ Law Firm holds the negligent nursing home facilities accountable for the harm they have caused residents. The neglect of an already vulnerable population can have devastating consequences. Contact us today.
Posted in: Nursing Home Abuse