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.

Millions Secured for Injured Worker

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Kevin Veugeler secured a $3.2 million recovery plus a waiver of $750,000 in Workers' Compensation benefits for a Sprinkler Fitter who fell from a ladder. While litigating this case, Kevin was able to show that the general contractor and owner of the jobsite failed to follow their own site-specific safety plan to protect the safety of their subcontractors. Through documents and deposition testimony, Kevin was able to establish that the general contractor and owner failed to provide a safe place to work. If you, a friend or a family member have been injured, please contact Healy Scanlon Veugeler Gannon for a free consultation.

$8.55 Million Recovered for Injured Construction Worker

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Matthew Gannon secured an $8.55 million dollar settlement for a construction laborer who suffered a crush injury involving multiple fractures of his leg. Matthew obtained evidence that the general contractor in charge of the work site failed to appropriately stage the phases of work during construction. In addition, Matthew uncovered evidence that the equipment that caused the injury was not being properly supervised at the time of the occurrence. If you, a friend or a family member have been injured, please contact Healy Scanlon Veugeler Gannon for a free consultation.