What Every Family Needs to Know About Falling Injuries and Nursing Home Neglect

Elderly care is a quickly growing industry in the United States. Many facilities provide high-quality care. However, the rate of nursing home neglect has also grown quickly. The risk of an elderly person fracturing a hip is actually higher for residents of a nursing home than for residents living at their own home.

Falls are a major concern for families with a loved one in a nursing home. Nursing homes can have smooth floors, stairwells, or other potential hazards for your loved one. Elderly people are often vulnerable to falling injuries, especially if they require a walker or a cane to leave their beds.

Falls in a Florida nursing home can be prevented with proper care. Supervision of patients makes many falls preventable. A common form of neglect occurs when nursing homes do not follow doctors' provisions for supervising patients. Doctors may prescribe one-on-one or two-on-one supervision to make sure that someone stands with your loved one when he or she is out of bed.

Unfortunately, in an attempt to cut costs, some nursing homes do not have enough staff to properly supervise patients. This negligence can result in injuries such as a broken hip, fractured bone, or a concussion. These injuries can lead to costly and painful surgeries, such as hip replacement, or even death.

If your loved one has been injured in a fall in a West Palm Beach nursing home and you suspect neglect, contact a Florida nursing home lawyer immediately. Call 1-800-GOLD-LAW to reach Craig Goldenfarb and his team of West Palm Beach nursing home abuse lawyers.