One of the hardest parts of having a loved one in a nursing home is that you cannot always be present to monitor the quality of care your loved one is receiving. You may worry about the safety standards at your loved one’s nursing home or wonder how often they are understaffed. You may see horrific news stories depicting physical or sexual abuse of nursing home residents and fear the same thing happening to your loved one. When your loved one suffers a broken bone, you may wonder, “Are fractures a sign of nursing home neglect or abuse?”
Cause of Resident Broken Bones and Fractures
Falling becomes a greater and greater hazard the more we age. Disabilities that impair mobility or vision and injuries to the feet can further increase the risk of falling. The CDC reports that one out of every five fall accidents results in a serious injury. Broken bones are a common result of nursing home fall accidents. Not every fall is a product of nursing home negligence or wrongdoing of some kind. However, there are many ways in which nursing home negligence may lead to a fall accident, including:
- Negligent supervision or failure to properly watch staff for signs that they need help
- Environmental Hazards such as cluttered walkways or loose electrical cords that present a slip and fall or trip and fall risk
- Inadequate safety measures including lack of handrails, grab bars, and sufficient lighting
- Inadequate staff training including insufficient training on how to safely transfer a patient in and out of bed or a wheelchair
- Improper use of sedatives or psychiatric medication
- Medication mistakes including administering too much or too little medication
Falls are not the only causes of broken bones and fractures in nursing home residents, but they are, by far, the most common. Falling may also be caused by:
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