According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.8 million older people (who are 65 or above) are treated in emergency rooms for fall injuries. Fall injuries are often sudden and can cost patients a lot of money to fix. Actually, if an older person falls, their chances of falling again are doubled. Falls have been known to cause life-changing injuries such as traumatic brain/head injuries and hip fractures. Surprisingly, many falls happen in places like hospitals and nursing homes that are meant to take care of patients/residents. Such falls can be caused by many reasons such as a patient doing an act he/she has been told not to do or by the negligence of the staff such as caretakers and nurses.
Even though it may seem like falls were just meant to happen, most falls are preventable. The most common contributing factors for falls that cause injuries are:
- Communication failure – The caretakers at nursing homes do not talk to individuals about their weaknesses, the resources they can depend on to prevent a fall etc.
- Inadequate Assessment – Nursing homes/hospitals fail to use fall prevention assessments correctly. They might be using one but not analyzing it in accordance with the specific environment of the space.
- Safety protocols not being followed and safety hazards in physical environment being ignored.
- Lack of adequate and updated training for the staff, understaffing and staff negligence
Determine if the fall was preventable
Accidental falls can put many older people on bed rest for long periods of time. High medical costs and the lack of independence to do anything can further bring a person down. Older people can often become depressed post-fall and lose hope of getting any better. However, this is the best time to think about why the fall happened and whether it was preventable. Falls happen very fast and therefore, the patient can forget important details about it right after the fall. Determining if your fall was preventable can help you get better medical care and better resources to lead an independent life again.
Family and friends should work with older people who have experienced an injurious fall to remember how the fall happened and if it could have been avoided. Asking questions from the caretaker responsible is very important to get details about the circumstances under which a person fell. This is because hospitals and nursing homes are responsible for the safety of their patients/residents. If they are in any way negligent, the patient or his/her loved one can file a claim against the responsible party.
If you or a loved one has required medical treatment as a result of a fall in a healthcare facility, contact Wormington & Bollinger today. We serve those who have suffered preventable medical complications throughout the State of Texas, especially in the DFW region as well as in cities like Plano and Arlington. We are committed to helping you investigate the cause of this injury, to determine who is responsible, and to lessen the financial burden it has imposed on you and your family.