Many nursing home residents need help walking to the bathroom or being transferred from their beds to their wheelchairs; however, sometimes, nursing home staff members don’t respond to the alarm calls from residents—causing residents who shouldn’t walk on their own to attempt to do so. This often leads to them falling and suffering injuries.

Falls at nursing homes can be quite serious—causing broken bones, hip fractures, head injuries, and even death. Unfortunately, many nursing home falls are the result  of nursing home negligence. In the example above, a delay in responding to a resident’s alarm or failure to respond to a patient can be the cause of a nursing home fall-related injury.

While all falls can’t be prevented, many falls at nursing homes can be avoided if nursing home workers responded quickly, had the right experience, and if the nursing homes had adequate staffing levels to properly supervise their residents. Even though many elderly people are more susceptible to falling due to their fragile, unstable conditions, nursing homes still have the following responsibilities:

  • Pay close attention to residents
  • Properly supervise patients
  • Minimize possible risks
  • Take proper precautions
  • Respond to residents in a timely manner

When nursing home workers fail to do these things and residents suffer fall-related injuries in the process, a nursing home can be held liable for nursing home neglect. Taking action and holding a nursing home accountable for its actions isn’t merely about seeking compensation. It is also about sending a message to the nursing home that nursing home neglect won’t be tolerated. To learn more about taking legal action, request a free copy of our book, The Florida Nursing Home Abuse Handbook.

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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Board Certified Sarasota Personal Injury Attorney
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