If a nursing home or similar facility has unsanitary conditions, slippery floors, incorrect bed height, poor lighting, malfunctioning wheelchairs, or dangerous objects and furniture, it may be liable for resident fall injuries. Failure to provide a safe environment for the well-being of residents makes the facility responsible for any injuries this negligence caused.
If a nursing home staff member acts negligently in his or her duties to reasonably prevent a fall, a judge may hold the facility responsible. For example, if a resident has a known muscle weakness and is at high risk of falling but the caregiver is too preoccupied to help him or her get out of bed, a fall might be the negligent caregiver’s fault.
Nursing homes are responsible for training and educating staff members on how to properly handle a fall situation. Impatience when handling fall victims or shrugging off resident complaints of injury are signs of negligence. If a resident suffered a fracture or broken bone and it’s left untreated, the damages to his or her physical and mental health could be substantial.
Many nursing home falls are preventable with the proper attention to resident needs and appropriate fall prevention programs. Fall prevention in nursing homes can be challenging but necessary to provide resident well-being. Nursing homes must take the time to understand a new resident’s needs and health hazards to apply the correct standard of care. The staff must also maintain a high level of up-to-date knowledge about fall prevention and do everything in their power to prevent a fall.