December 23, 2020 Nursing Home Abuse
Families often face the hard choice of placing elderly relatives in nursing homes to receive specialized care. When loved ones enter a nursing home or assisted living facility, families expect a high standard of care. Sadly, some elderly residents experience abuse or neglect in the very facilities trusted with their safety. In these situations, families often work with a Chicago nursing home neglect lawyer to hold nursing homes accountable through legal action.
What Causes Falls in Nursing Homes?
Falls in nursing homes are often the result of multiple breakdowns in care rather than a single, unavoidable event. While residents may have underlying health conditions, many falls happen because known risks are not properly managed.
Some of the most common contributing factors include:
- Lack of timely assistance: Residents who need help with walking or transfers may attempt to move on their own when staff is unavailable or slow to respond.
- Medication-related side effects: Sedatives, sleep aids, and blood pressure medications can cause dizziness, confusion, or sudden drops in blood pressure—especially when several medications are used together.
- Unsafe room conditions: Poor lighting, clutter, improper bed height, and out-of-reach call buttons can create avoidable hazards in a resident’s daily environment.
- Failure to identify and address fall risks: Nursing homes are expected to assess each resident’s fall risk and adjust care plans accordingly. When this process is skipped or ignored, residents may not receive the supervision they need.
- Inconsistent communication between staff: Changes in a resident’s condition—such as increased confusion or weakness—may not be properly communicated, leading to gaps in care.
Not every fall in a nursing home can be prevented. However, when a facility fails to respond appropriately to known risks or prior incidents, a fall may point to a deeper issue.
Other contributing factors include environmental hazards, inadequate staffing, unsafe equipment, unsafe personal care items, chronic and acute diseases, effects of aging on gait, and a facility’s failure to create a comprehensive fall prevention care plan.
Nursing homes are required to have fall prevention procedures that include proper placement and installation of bed alarms, chair alarm systems, fall mats, lighting, medication re-assessments, and appropriate staffing.
Common Injuries That Can Lead to Fatal Outcomes After a Fall
When a nursing home resident falls, the injuries are often more serious than they initially appear. For older adults, even a seemingly minor incident can result in complications that become life-threatening.
One of the most dangerous outcomes of a fall is a hip fracture, as these injuries can lead to long-term complications for residents. In fact, the CDC reports that falls are responsible for 83% of hip fracture deaths and 88% of emergency room visits and hospitalizations related to hip fractures. These injuries frequently require surgery and extended immobility, which can lead to complications such as infections, blood clots, or a rapid decline in overall health.
Head injuries are another major concern. A traumatic brain injury may not always be immediately visible, but internal bleeding or swelling can worsen over time. Without prompt diagnosis and treatment, these injuries can quickly become fatal.
Falls can also lead to internal injuries and infections. In some cases, complications develop days or even weeks later, making it difficult for families to connect the fall to the eventual outcome.
For many residents, it is not just the injury itself, but the body’s reduced ability to recover that creates risk. After a serious fall, decreased mobility and overall health decline can contribute to life-threatening complications.
Understanding these risks highlights why every fall should be treated as a serious medical event—not just an isolated accident.
Why Some Nursing Home Falls Go Unreported or Underexplained
After a serious or fatal fall, families expect clear answers about what happened. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Not all falls are witnessed, which can make it difficult to reconstruct the incident. However, gaps in supervision or communication between staff can also lead to incomplete or inconsistent explanations. In some situations, documentation may not fully reflect what occurred. If a fall is not properly recorded, investigated, or followed up on, it can raise concerns about whether appropriate procedures were followed.
When details are unclear, delayed, or change over time, it may be a sign that further questions need to be asked.
Common Signs of Nursing Home Neglect/Abuse
Unfortunately, falls are prevalent among elderly patients who reside in nursing homes. Approximately 10% to 25% of these falls result in hospital admissions and/or fractures. According to the CDC, only 5% of adults 65 and older live in nursing homes, but they account for 20% of deaths from falls within this age group.
Family members should watch out for the four common telltale signs of nursing home abuse:
- Physical injuries – commonly occur when staff members abuse the elderly or neglect their duties.
- Medical complications – sudden weight loss, dehydration, poor nutrition, and the appearance of being over-medicated or fatigued.
- Behavioral changes – sudden angry or withdrawn behavior.
- Staffing issues – medication errors, low ratio of staff to residents, behavior changes in front of staff and residents, and residents habitually dressed in the same clothing.
Unfortunately, these signs often go undetected, allowing the abuse and neglect to continue.
Who Can Sue the Nursing Home?
There are federal and state laws that have been created to protect the elderly from nursing home neglect and abuse that could result in a fall or fracture. The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act grants nursing home residents legal rights and protections from any type of nursing home neglect and abuse. When falls and fractures or other signs of nursing home abuse appear, the victim and their family have the legal right to file a lawsuit against the negligent nursing home.
Nursing home negligence victims and their families have the right to sue for monetary compensation. Nursing home victims may be able to recover compensation to address all medical costs related to a nursing home fall, fracture, and mental anguish. Depending on the severity of the negligence surrounding the victims’ falls or fractures, victims may be entitled to punitive damages.
Speak With an Elder Abuse Attorney
A competent nursing home negligence abuse lawyer helps victims and their families seek compensation for the harms and losses they suffered at the hands of the nursing home. If your loved one sustained a fall or fracture while in the care of a nursing home, you are encouraged to speak with a nursing home negligence attorney. To schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with an Illinois nursing home abuse lawyer, contact The Rooth Law Firm.
