Hospital Falls Lead to Injuries, Increased Nursing Home Placement among Elderly

Each year, slips, trips, and falls cause thousands of cases of injury and death.  While fall injuries can affect people of any age, perhaps no population is more at risk of serious fall injuries than our senior citizens.  One particular source of injuries—nursing home falls—leads to countless deaths, bone fractures, and other serious injuries among the elderly every single day.

Preventing Hospital Falls Could Decrease Nursing Home Placement

A recent study reports that elderly patients who fall while receiving care in a hospital are about twice as likely to be placed in a nursing home as those who did not fall under the hospital’s care.  This holds true even when the patient involved did not sustain any injury as the result of the fall.  Based on these results, it seems that preventing hospital falls could, in turn, perhaps prevent nursing home placement in a large number of cases.

Nursing Home Injuries

Obviously, patients should be protected from unnecessary slips, trips, and falls in hospitals in order to prevent injuries.  But the study cited above suggests that even non-injurious falls may lead to undesirable consequences.

As we have previously discussed on this blog, the Center for Disease Control estimates that each year about 1,800 people living in nursing homes will die from falls.  That number does not include the additional thousands who will suffer broken bones, blunt trauma, abrasions, spinal cord and brain injuries, or other significant personal injuries.  In addition to falls, nursing home residents may face risks of infection, medication errors, and abuse.  It is no wonder that many patients and their families are hesitant about nursing home placement.    

Ohio Nursing Home Injury Lawyers at Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA

Patients and their families should remember that prevention is a matter of attention.  Pay attention, monitor your loved one during their hospital stay, and speak up to ensure that they receive the care they require to protect against slips, trips, and falls. 

If you or a loved one suffer a hospital fall, nursing home fall, or other nursing home injury, contact an experienced Ohio nursing home injury lawyer at Lowe Scott Fisher Co., LPA today to discuss your case.