Slips, Trips & Falls
A fall for a vulnerable resident can be very serious
Table of Contents
In old age, keeping one’s balance is not to be taken for granted. While anyone may be the victim of a slip and fall due to a wet floor, trip hazard or variety of other easy to overlook factors, the elderly also have age related issues that can make nursing homes especially risky. Individuals in homes may require special assistance such as guard rails, assists and monitoring to ensure their safety. When the nursing home fails to put appropriate safety measures in place the results can be tragic.
WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT FROM A NURSING HOME?
In the most straightforward terms, you should expect a nursing home should have a plan that every relevant person is aware of and trained on how to execute. This plan should be specific to the individual in the home and filed in the appropriate manner. Just as their overall treatment program is unique, each patient’s slip and fall plan should be as well.
The home should be able to tell you exactly how they respond to slip and falls as well.
RESPONDING TO SLIP AND FALLS
As soon as caretakers become aware of a fall, they have to take special care to find any injuries and begin treating them. Injuries as severe as broken hips, skull fractures and internal bleeding are possible. These require medical attention that may not be readily available on site. This will likely involve calling emergency services and appropriate transportation to the hospital so that more in depth testing can be completed.
While waiting for further help, there should be checks done on the skin, vital sign stability, ability to communicate and other base level diagnostics to make swift decisions and begin to assess potential injuries.
Need to Report a Slip, Trip, or Fall
NEGLIGENCE IN NURSING HOMES
There are a variety of factors that your attorney will look for in showing that there has been neglect in the nursing home. Factors such as documentation standards, staffing, cleanliness and preventative measures that are visible.
A special area of emphasis in slip and falls is training. A well trained staff that actively follows the training is far less likely to be negligent and have those under their care suffer the consequences. A home should be able to detail training and may open itself up to further liability if it is found that they have hired employees with substandard training.
Combatting negligence is a hands-on activity that requires checking records, speaking with the patient and physically showing up when possible. Actions such as these not only show that you are present and able to notice downturns in health and care but also allow you to know the staff and how they interact with your loved one.
DAMAGES AND COMPENSATION YOU CAN RECOVER
Serious injuries can and do occur in instances of slip and falls. You or your loved one may need extensive medical care, or even long-term care in the recovery effort. Fortunately, it is possible to recover some of those losses, including:
- Medical expenses, including emergency care and ongoing treatments
- Long term disability
- Pain and suffering, including emotional injuries
- Diminished quality of life
To determine what damages can be recovered, your attorney will look at the entirety of the claim. In addition to what happened to your loved one, they may also look through any available history to see if there is a pattern of these issues that may shed light on policies and procedures. All of this combined will help to set a course through what can be a very trying time for you and your family.
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Are You Entitled to Compensation?
If you or a loved one have been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, you may be eligible for financial compensation.
