By Jacob Runyon, Esq., Chief Legal Officer
Smith Clinesmith, LLP
The following injuries and adverse events commonly arise in nursing homes and may indicate failures in prevention, monitoring, supervision, or timely medical response.
Pressure Wound: A pressure ulcer, also called a bedsore, is localized damage to the skin or underlying soft tissue, usually over a bony area such as the heels, hips, or sacrum. It develops when prolonged pressure, often combined with shear or friction, compresses tissue between a bone and an external surface and restricts blood flow. If the pressure is not relieved, the tissue may become deprived of oxygen and eventually die. These injuries commonly develop in older residents with limited mobility who remain in one position for extended periods.
Fall with Fracture: In a nursing home, a fall with fracture occurs when a resident unintentionally comes to rest on the ground or another lower level and sustains a broken bone, such as a fracture of the hip, wrist, arm, skull, or spine.
Dehydration: Dehydration occurs when a resident loses more fluid than they take in. Although preventable, it is a serious clinical concern that can quickly lead to complications such as urinary tract infections or acute kidney injury if staff do not monitor and address it promptly.
Malnutrition: This occurs when a resident does not receive the proper balance of nutrients and calories needed to maintain healthy body function and strength.
Elopement: Occurs when a cognitively impaired resident leaves the safe boundaries of a facility without supervision.
Acute Kidney Injury: A sudden decline in kidney function, often caused by severe dehydration or a urinary tract infection.
Failure to Transport: Failure to transport occurs when a nursing home does not send a resident to a hospital in a timely manner after a critical change in the resident’s condition exceeds the facility’s level of care.
Infection: Occurs when harmful microbes–such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi–invade the body of a vulnerable resident and multiply, leading to tissue damage and illness.
Amputation: Amputation is the surgical removal of a limb or extremity and may result from severe complications, such as a wound infection that cannot be controlled.
Assault: Assault occurs when a staff member, visitor, or another resident intentionally subjects a resident to unwanted physical contact or causes physical harm.
Overmedication: Overmedication occurs when residents receive more medication than is clinically necessary or dosages that are too high for their needs.
Restraints: Restraints include physical methods, mechanical devices, or chemical medications used to restrict a resident’s freedom of movement or normal access to their own body.
Many nursing home cases involve a combination of these injuries or adverse events rather than a single isolated problem. Each case should therefore be evaluated by considering the resident’s injuries together with the facility’s preventive measures, monitoring, supervision, and response to changes in the resident’s condition.
Our next blog post by Nicola Gray, Esq., will explore why documentation matters in the above cases and how you, as a relative or close friend of a resident in a nursing home, can help your loved one get a higher level of care.
