Falls

Types of Nursing Home Falls

There are a few different types of falls that can occur in a nursing home environment, nearly all of which are considered the result of negligence.

Unattended Falls

These falls occur when a caregiver is not around to assist a patient with standing and moving around.

Attended Falls

Attended falls happen when the staff is around, but for some reason are unable to prevent the fall. This could be because of hazards in the facility such as faulty equipment or wet floors, poor staff training, improper transfer out of or into a bed, unlocked wheelchair wheels, over-medicating, and more.

Hoyer Lift Falls

A Hoyer lift is a patient-lift device that helps move people to and from one area to another using a sling. Nursing home negligence often occurs with Hoyer lifts because of improper training of the equipment.

Each type of fall is preventable when proper care is being provided by the nursing home staff. In the United States, nursing homes are required to screen every patient in their home and assess them for their fall-risk. However, these assessments are not always properly done and can lead to dangerous consequences if a fall occurs.

Common Fall Injuries

It was reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that in 2017 there were over 37,000 fatal injuries resulting from falls throughout the United States. In the same year, there were over 8.6 million non-fatal injuries resulting from fall injuries. While anyone can be injured as a result of falling, elderly individuals are especially susceptible to serious fall injuries.

Some of the most common fall injuries affecting elderly individuals include:

• Broken bones

• Head and brain injuries

• Spinal cord injuries

• Back injuries

• Serious cuts and scrapes

• Internal organ damage

Without proper treatment, fall injuries can also lead to other complications, such as infection. Elderly fall victims may even contract illnesses, such as pneumonia, while in the hospital for their injuries.