Why Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, and Rehabilitation Centers are Causing Harm to Fall Risk Residents: Portland Nursing Home Malpractice Lawyers
Residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation centers, and other adult care facilities are susceptible to a lot of different hazards and risks. One of the most common risks are falling. In fact, many residents may be identified as a fall risk patient. Yet, nursing homes often fail to adequately protect them from fall. This is a dangerous business model. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries amongst individuals who are 65 years old or older. Our Portland nursing home malpractice lawyers know that protecting all residents from falls should be a priority, especially residents who are already designated as a fall risk. Failing to do so could constitute elder abuse, nursing home abuse, nursing home malpractice, and just be plain negligent.
General Duties of Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, and Rehabilitation Centers Relating to Residents and Reducing Falls
All nursing homes and related facilities are entrusted with the health and safety of residents. This includes reducing the risks of harm to residents and ensuring they living in a reasonably safe environment. Considering that the leading cause of injury and death of individuals 65 or older is falling, nursing homes need to guard residents from the risk of falling. This includes making sure there are less obstructions or risks to falling such as wrinkled carpets, handrails on stairs, and the floors are clear of debris or obstructions.
Nursing homes and related facilities also need to identify high fall risk patients. This means that patients who are at a high fall risk need to be especially protected. This could mean residents get special attention, have lower beds, padded floors, bed alarms, bed rails, and even one on one supervision.
What is a Fall Risk Patient?
A fall risk is a resident who has special circumstances that make him or her unsteady or prone to falling. This could be residents who had leg or hip surgery, residents with cognitive impairments, residents on painkillers, or residents with severe diabetes and neuropathy. Some fall risk patients could be particularly vulnerable to falling because of a condition or surgery they had. Meaning that they may not be a high risk of falling, but if they fall, they are very vulnerable and the outcome could be catastrophic.
Oregon Nursing Home Negligence When Residents Fall
A nursing home could be negligent if a resident falls. This is true whether the resident is a fall risk or not. In fact, a fall risk resident that falls is usually the result of some form of negligence. Most times the reasons why a resident falls is due to nursing home negligence. This includes the following reckless, careless, or negligent acts:
- Inadequate staffing and understaffing;
- Lack of training for employees;
- Improper training;
- Lack of supervision and monitoring of residents;
- Premises liability, meaning defects in the floors and ground;
- Negligent snow removal, ice removal, or removal of spills;
- Ignoring bed alarms;
- Failing to set up bed alarms or other safety devices for fall risk patients;
- Improperly leaving debris or trip hazards in walkways; and
- Many other types of negligent actions.
Our Portland Nursing Home Malpractice Lawyers Can Help Your Elder Abuse Case
Nursing home falls always have the potential to cause great harm and damage. This includes permanent and debilitating damage which could lead to a resident’s wrongful death. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and rehabilitation centers are all required to protect the rights of residents. This means ensuring that they do not fall and sustain injury.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of nursing home abuse or neglect contact the Oregon Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take Nursing Home Abuse cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
Please act quickly, there is a limited time (Statute of Limitations) in which you can bring a claim under the law.
