Falls and Injuries

Nursing Home Falls

Falls are very common in nursing homes due to lack of staff and supervision of residents. Federal and state law requires supervision, rails in halls and bathrooms, and that assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers be readily available. If every nursing home complied with requirements designed to prevent falls in nursing homes, there would be fewer injuries from falls. In short, many nursing home injuries are preventable.

Falls in nursing homes are preventable

When institutions fail to take steps to prevent falls, they may be liable for the injuries, illness and death their negligence causes. Causes of falls in nursing homes that are often the result of neglect include:

• Lack of supervision when walking
• Not responding to requests for assistance
• Not responding to toileting needs
• Physical abuse such as pushing or shoving
• Overmedication
• Patients wandering away from the nursing home (elopement) and falling on an unfamiliar surface
• Unlocked doors that lead to stairs

Falls often lead to death in nursing homes

Falls and similar injuries are a common cause of death in nursing home residents. People fall and suffer trauma, become bedridden, weaken, contract pneumonia and die. When the fall could have been prevented, the surviving family members may have grounds to file a wrongful death action. Even if the patient is able to recover from the fall, they seldom regain their former state of health and level of mobility.

Consult with a nurse/attorney with extensive experience in nursing homes

If you or a loved one in a nursing home suffers a preventable fall, it is important to seek legal advice about your options. Depending on the circumstances, you may able to obtain compensation for the injury, additional medical expenses and the pain and suffering caused by the fall. A lawyer with knowledge of nursing home operations can counsel you.

At my Seattle law office, I advise clients about their options. As a registered nurse who focused on the care of the elderly for many years, I am able to obtain and review medical charts quickly and let you know whether there is a case. Contact me, Catherine S. Strong, RN, BSN, JD. I can help after a nursing home fall.