Anyone who falls is at risk for an injury; however, when that person is an elderly person, health factors like weaker bones can increase the chance of him or her suffering from an injury. Elderly nursing home residents are at risk of falling, which means that the nursing homes must take appropriate steps to help prevent the falls that might occur.
There are several ways that nursing homes can help to prevent falls. One of the most common methods is to determine which residents are at an increased risk of falls. These residents might include those who are on medications that might make them dizzy, those who have a weak muscle tone, those who have balance issues and those who meet certain other conditions. Once a nursing home resident is identified as someone with an increased fall risk, special steps must be taken to keep the resident safe.
We know that you want the best care possible while you are in a nursing home. If you are at risk of falling, the nursing home should find ways to reduce that risk. In some cases, they might provide you with a low bed, bed rails, bed alarms, chair alarms or assistance when you need to get up and move around.
If you suffered an injury in a fall, such as a broken hip or head injury, you might decide to seek compensation for the injury. The compensation is meant to help you fund your recovery. It can also be a way for you to prevent future falls that could impact you or your fellow residents since claims for compensation might lead to policy changes in the future.