Unfortunately, slip and falls are a common occurrence in nursing homes, oftentimes leading to serious injuries, or worse. When family members drop their parents or elderly loved ones off at a nursing home, they expect them to be well-cared for and looked after. However, nursing home accidents and abuse happen far more regularly than many people realize. Fall-related injuries are one of the top health concerns for nursing homes, and they are also a major health threat for residents. It is a fact that older people tend to fall more often than their young and nimble counterparts, whether they live on their own or in a nursing home. Sadly, the elderly do not heal as quickly as younger adults, making the recovery process quite arduous at times. Once they do recover, they may be left with an increased fear of falling, which can result in depression, social isolation, and even the feeling of helplessness in extreme situations.
In order for nursing homes to provide their residents with the care and attention they deserve, it is of the utmost importance they do everything they can to keep accidents from happening. By making an effort to reduce falls in nursing homes, residents and the senior living community as a whole will be much better off. By law, nursing home residents must have access to adequate supervision and assistive devices in order to prevent slip and fall accidents. When a nursing home does not make an effort to keep their residents safe, it could be extremely dangerous for residents and also lead to lawsuits.
How Do Slip and Fall Accidents Happen?
Many different factors can contribute to a nursing home resident slipping and falling, including the following:
- Wet floors
- Poor lighting
- Lack of proper bed rails or bed rails used improperly
- Improper bed height
- Tripping hazards
- Understaffing or improperly trained staff
- Failure to respond to alarms
- Maintenance issues
- Hallway clutter
These are just some of the most common reasons why falls occur in nursing homes. As you can see, all of these factors are preventable with a little effort from the nursing home staff.
Nursing Home Fall Statistics
In order to show just how serious nursing home falls are, we thought it would be beneficial to look at some statistics:
- Roughly 16 to 27 percent of all nursing home falls occur due to environmental hazards, such as inadequate lighting or slippery floors
- Between 50 and 75 percent of all older adults suffer from a nursing home fall each year
- According to the CDC, 5 percent of adults 65 and older are nursing home residents
- Nursing home residents make up 20 percent of deaths as a result of an elderly fall
- It is typical for nursing home residents to fall multiple times each year
- Approximately 35 percent of all elderly fall injuries happen to residents who cannot walk
Nursing home falls are both serious and preventable. In order for nursing home facilities to keep their residents safe and healthy, it is important that they take proper steps to maintain their property and remove any hazards. If you or anyone you know has been injured in a nursing home accident, please contact Wormington & Bollinger today.