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Common nursing home injuries to watch for

On Behalf of | Nov 7, 2019 | Long-term Care Facility Neglect |

Long-term care facilities have a duty to keep their residents safe from harm. These individuals often need considerable assistance with daily life tasks. When they don’t get the care they need, these residents might suffer harm. There are a few types of injuries that are more common than others, so focusing on these could help to make these facilities safer for the individuals who live in them.

Because many residents can’t move well on their own, they are at risk of developing bedsores. These are pressure ulcers that come from remaining in the same position for a prolonged period. It is also possible that they will occur because of the shearing that occurs when residents are transferred in or out of bed or chairs.

The most common locations for bedsores are on the tailbone, hip, heel and ankle. They usually start off as a red area that is painful and can manifest into a sore that eats away at various layers of the skin.

Another issue is falls, which cause around 1,800 fatalities in these facilities per year. Residents might have balance or mobility issues that can contribute to the likelihood of a fall. Still, the employees should work to ensure that they get assistance when they are moving about. Repeated falls are a problem as many nursing home residents have multiple falls in a 12-month period. These can lead to broken bones, bruising, lacerations, head injuries and spinal cord damage.

Medication administration is another task of the nursing home staff. They must ensure that residents get their proper medications in the appropriate dosage and at the correct times. Whether a person gets too much of a medication or not enough, grave harm can occur.

Nursing home residents who are the victims of atrocious behavior at the hands of the staff might choose to seek compensation to recover the financial damages.

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