What is the Average Recovery Time After a Nursing Home Fall?
Nursing Home AbuseWhen a loved one falls in a nursing home, it is a distressing and worrisome situation. You may have questions about the care that your loved one is receiving and whether the nursing home is responsible for the fall.
Falls are a leading cause of injury in nursing homes throughout the United States. Along with physical and cognitive infirmities, residents can also face danger when they are in a hazardous environment without the proper level of supervision. The combination of the resident’s condition and the nursing home’s possible negligence can lead to serious fall injuries.
It is difficult to say whether there is an average time for recovery from a fall. Once a fall occurs, the resident is likely in a weakened state, even if their injury will eventually heal. As a result, they may be at risk for another fall or developing some other serious health condition. Since the resident may have compromised health going forward, they may never truly recover from their accident.
Your priority is to ensure that your loved one is properly cared for after the fall and that the nursing home has changed the fall prevention plan. Your family must ensure that the facility properly follows this protocol.
If your family member suffered an injury due to nursing home negligence, you can take legal action against the facility that was supposed to care for them. You should hire a nursing home abuse attorney to investigate your case and advise whether you have a possible lawsuit against the nursing home. If your family is successful, you may have the legal right to substantial financial compensation.
Getting help from a nursing home abuse lawyer does not cost you anything upfront. All you must do is promise to pay your nursing home abuse attorney a percentage of your financial recovery should your family receive one. You do not owe them anything if you do not win your case.
Nursing Home Fall Statistics
Nursing home residents are at a high risk of falls due to severe health conditions. Many nursing home residents have dementia or some other form of cognitive impairment, and many have reduced mobility. The typical nursing home will report 100 to 200 falls yearly among its residents. However, the statistics vary depending on the size of the facility and the quality of care it provides.
Roughly half of nursing home residents will fall in a given year. A resident falls for a reason and is subject to risks of a subsequent fall in a short period. Approximately one in every three nursing home residents who fall will have another incident within the same year. Therefore, the nursing home must adjust the resident’s care plan after their first fall to prevent a repeat incident.
Not every nursing home fall will lead to a serious injury, mainly because the incidents are common. However, statistics show that about one in every ten nursing home falls results in a serious injury. Further, approximately 20 percent of fall deaths among Americans aged 65 or older occur in nursing homes.
Some Nursing Home Fall Injuries Are More Serious Than Others
The recovery time after a nursing home fall varies depending on the severity of the incident. Some residents may eventually recover, while others will not get better. Residents may even die from the injuries that they suffered in the initial fall.
If a resident takes a minor fall, they will have cuts and abrasions that will quickly heal (assuming that the injury does not get infected). In other cases, a resident may suffer more serious injuries in a fall, including:
- Fractures and broken bones
- Concussions and other head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
Even a fracture puts the resident at serious risk of a long-term injury. For example, hip fractures, while not immediately fatal, can lead to a chain of events that cause the resident to die. Those who have dementia or are living in a nursing home have a much higher rate of fatality.
Nursing Home Falls Lead to a Variety of Health Impacts
The time it takes for a resident to recover from a fall, and whether they even get better, often depends on their condition before the accident. For example, the resident may have arthritis or osteoporosis, which can lengthen their recovery period because they are already at risk of serious injuries.
Beyond physical injuries, nursing home falls can cause several other issues that affect a resident. Specifically, the fall may impact their mental health. The resident may suffer from depression due to their physical injuries and the knowledge that they are at risk for further falls.
They may also deal with anxiety because of their fear of falling again in the future. In turn, a decline in the resident’s mental health can cause the following:
- Lack of appetite and reduced interest in eating and drinking
- Increased sensitivity to pain
- Changes in their sleep patterns
- Lowered immune system causing them to become ill
In many cases, a nursing home resident will never fully recover from their fall injuries. Even if the immediate and pressing injury heals, it can set in motion a chain of other adverse effects that cause the resident’s health to deteriorate. It is not uncommon for the resident to die of other causes not long after a fall because of the initial effects of what happened.
Nursing Home Fall Injuries Can Lead to Bed Sores
One common way that a resident’s health declines after a fall is from a pressure ulcer. Because they have suffered an injury, the nursing home may need to immobilize a resident for some time. When that happens, a bony part of their body may press against a more rigid surface, such as their bed or wheelchair. The resident can develop sores on their body if the nursing home staff does not shift their position frequently. Then, a lack of follow-up care from nursing home staff can cause a pressure ulcer to get infected, and the resident can die if they develop sepsis. In any event, a severe infection will weaken them, even if it will eventually heal.
Nursing Home Falls May Occur Due to the Facility’s Negligence
The nursing home has a legal obligation to care for its residents and provide a safe environment. When a resident moves into the facility, the nursing home must immediately assess their health condition, including whether they are at risk of falling. The nursing home needs to develop an individualized fall prevention plan, tailoring it to the specific resident. Staff must follow this plan at all times, and if the resident falls, the nursing home must reassess it and make adjustments as necessary.
Unfortunately, nursing homes do not always comply with their legal obligations. Even if the nursing home has a fall prevention plan, the staff may not consistently follow it. Understaffing is one of the significant reasons why nursing home staff are inattentive and place the residents at risk. Nursing homes try to economize on staff because that is often the most considerable expense. They are for-profit businesses and frequently try to hire as little staff as possible, even falling below minimum required staffing levels. The result is that a resident is sometimes unsupervised, or the staff that tries to move them did not receive adequate training.
How Nursing Home Carelessness Can Lead to Falls
Although an accident sometimes happens in a nursing home, falls are often the result of negligence. Nursing home staff may be at fault for the fall injuries in the following ways:
- Failure to supervise residents properly and leaving them unattended for an extended period
- Making errors in trying to move a resident
- Failure to maintain an environment that is free of hazards
- Not properly training staff on how to identify risks facing both individual residents and the overall nursing home population
Raise Any Concerns That You Have Immediately
You may be unable to act in time to prevent the first fall that your loved one has. If you spot any signs of danger before a fall, you need to alert the nursing home staff to take measures to fix them. Your loved one has the legal right to a safe environment, and it may be up to you to advocate for your family member.
After your loved one falls, you will need to advocate for them even more forcefully. You should report the incident if you suspect the fall occurred due to nursing home neglect. If you report your concerns to the nursing home, it has two hours to pass your report along to the state regulators. You can also report the incident directly to a nursing home ombudsperson or the state. They can conduct a prompt investigation, resulting in disciplinary action against the nursing home (although it can result in a fine that the nursing home will pay the state instead of compensation for your family).
Your Family Can File a Lawsuit for Nursing Home Negligence
If your loved one suffered an injury by nursing home negligence, your family can file a lawsuit, leading to financial compensation if you are successful. Nursing homes owe their residents a duty of care to act reasonably under the circumstances. If you have evidence that they have not met this standard of care, they may face blame for negligence because they failed to keep your loved one safe.
When you suspect that the facility was to blame for your family member’s injury, the first step is to hire a nursing home abuse attorney to handle your case. Nursing homes are often not forthcoming with details about what happened to your loved one because they know they are potentially liable in a lawsuit. You may need a nursing home abuse lawyer to help you get answers and determine whether you may have a potential legal case.
After filing a nursing home abuse lawsuit, you can obtain even more evidence that shows what happened. For example, your nursing home abuse lawyer can get the fall prevention plan and speak to nursing home staff to see if they followed it. They may depose nursing home witnesses to learn how they cared for their loved one, possibly revealing how the nursing home failed to live up to its duty of care.
Damages in a Nursing Home Negligence Lawsuit
When your family can prove that the nursing home was negligent, you may have the legal right to compensation for your damages. You can receive money through a settlement agreement with the nursing home (after filing a lawsuit) or a jury award.
Your lawsuit damages will include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Embarrassment and humiliation
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If your loved one died in a nursing home fall, your family can file a wrongful death claim. Here, your family will receive compensation for the damages that you suffered when you lost a loved one. Then, you can file a survival action, seeking payment for the harm that your loved one suffered between the time of their injury and death.
Filing a lawsuit against a nursing home after your loved one falls is a complex and challenging process. It often involves multiple parties, including the nursing home, staff members, and potentially other residents. It requires an extensive understanding of the laws and regulations that govern nursing homes and experience in handling personal injury cases.
A lawyer can provide you with guidance and support throughout the legal process. They have the knowledge and experience to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fall, gather evidence, and build a strong case on behalf of your loved one. They can also handle communication and negotiations with the nursing home and legal team, ensuring they represent your best interests.
Call A Trusted Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Today
If your loved one falls in a nursing home, it is important to seek legal assistance. Hiring a personal injury attorney with experience in nursing home neglect or abuse cases can provide you with the knowledge, support, and guidance you need to handle the legal process and fight for justice on behalf of your loved one. You do not have to go through this challenging time alone. A lawyer can be a trusted ally in seeking accountability and compensation for your loved one’s fall.
Nathan Hughey, an attorney and fourth-generation South Carolinian, founded Hughey Law Firm in 2007. Before that, he spent five years defending nursing homes and insurance companies. Leveraging his experience, he now advocates for those injured or wronged by such entities, securing over $220 million in verdicts and settlements.