What causes falls in nursing homes?

healyscanlonveugelergannon • June 16, 2016

Nursing homes are supposed to be trusted places that take care of elderly people who have difficulty caring for themselves. Families across Illinois depend on nursing homes to take care of their residents with the utmost care. Often, these families have no choice but to place trust in these facilities as their loved-ones age.

But, nursing homes are not always good. Many fail to uphold their duty to residents and people are injured. On multiple occasions, this blog has discussed the many dangers of nursing homes, including the dangers of falls. As previously discussed, falls in nursing homes can lead to a variety of serious injuries and even death. But, what causes these falls?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  (CDC) , there are many reasons that falls occur in nursing homes across the United States. In some cases, for example, these falls are cause by muscle weakness experienced by residents. This can occur naturally as people age or may be the result of a medication that an elderly person is taking. The risk of falls is especially high for the first few days after starting or changing a new medication.

Falls are also often caused by environmental hazards within the nursing home. These include wet floors, wheelchair issues, improper bed height and lighting issues. The CDC says these issues contribute to between 16 and 27 percent of nursing home falls.

Other issues, including improper shoes and walking implements can also cause serious falls. Such incidents can also occur if residents have a difficult time walking from place to place.

Falls are not the only sign of  nursing home abuse. If negligence contributed to a nursing home accident, then the nursing home may be accountable for the injuries. An attorney may be able to give specific legal advice to those whose family members have been injured by nursing home negligence.

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