Patient falls in nursing homes are among the most common and preventable causes of harm to elderly residents. Unfortunately, despite clear evidence of the risks, many facilities still fail to adopt basic safety measures that could better protect vulnerable individuals. When a nursing home’s negligence causes your loved one to suffer serious injuries from a fall, the facility must be held accountable for its failures.
At Jordan Law Center, we have successfully represented countless families whose elderly relatives sustained devastating injuries due to inadequate fall prevention in nursing homes. Schedule a free consultation with an experienced Greenville nursing home abuse lawyer at our firm to learn how we can help you pursue justice and compensation for your loved one’s suffering.
How To Prevent Falls in the Elderly in Nursing Homes
Effective fall prevention in nursing homes requires comprehensive strategies that address environmental hazards, individual resident needs, and facility-wide protocols. Nursing homes have a legal and ethical obligation to implement evidence-based measures that protect residents from foreseeable harm, and facilities that fail to meet these standards face liability for resulting injuries.
Environmental and Safety Measures
Nursing homes must maintain safe physical environments that accommodate residents with varying mobility levels and cognitive abilities. Proper facility design and maintenance eliminate hazards before they can cause harm:
- Installing adequate lighting throughout all areas
- Placing non-slip mats in bathrooms and showers
- Keeping hallways and rooms free of obstacles
- Installing secure handrails along all walkways
- Ensuring properly functioning call buttons
- Maintaining level flooring without uneven surfaces
- Providing appropriate assistive devices
Resident-Focused Measures
Every resident needs an individualized assessment and care plan that accounts for their specific fall risks and mobility challenges. Tailored interventions ensure each person’s needs are adequately addressed under the facility’s care. Resident-focused measures include the following:
- Conducting thorough fall risk assessments
- Reviewing medications that affect balance
- Providing proper nutrition and hydration
- Addressing vision and hearing impairments
- Monitoring chronic conditions affecting mobility
- Supplying appropriate footwear and clothing
Facility and Staff Protocols
Comprehensive staff training and clear operational procedures provide consistent implementation of fall prevention strategies across all shifts and departments. Facilities must establish systems that prioritize resident safety at every level of operation:
- Implementing regular safety rounds and checks
- Responding promptly to call buttons
- Documenting all incidents
- Maintaining adequate staffing ratios
- Creating individualized care plans
- Closely monitoring high-risk residents
When Does Neglect Become a Lawsuit?
South Carolina law defines neglect as the failure to provide goods or services necessary for a vulnerable adult’s health, safety, or welfare. Nursing home neglect becomes a lawsuit when facilities breach their duty of care by failing to meet a resident’s basic needs or protect them from foreseeable harm. Actionable neglect involves failures in these critical areas:
- Basic Needs: Providing basic needs, including adequate nutrition, hydration, and hygiene assistance, and maintaining a clean living environment that supports residents’ health and dignity.
- Medical Care: Delivering medical care, such as prescribed treatments, medications, wound care, and monitoring for chronic conditions. Also, providing timely access to physicians and specialists.
- Safety: Protecting residents from falls, wandering, abuse from other residents, and environmental hazards through proper supervision and safety measures.
- Emotional or Mental Needs: Nursing homes must address psychological well-being, social engagement, and mental stimulation while preventing isolation and depression.
When neglect causes serious injuries, permanent disability, or wrongful death, families have the right to pursue legal action against responsible parties. The nursing home neglect attorneys at Jordan Law Center build compelling cases that demonstrate how the facility’s failures directly resulted in your loved one’s preventable injuries.
Liability in a Nursing Home Neglect Lawsuit
Responsibility for negligent practices that result in resident falls or injuries may rest with more than one party. Identifying every liable entity is essential to securing full compensation from all responsible sources. Potentially responsible parties may include:
- The nursing home facility
- Corporate ownership groups
- Individual staff members
- Contracted service providers
- Equipment manufacturers
- Medical professionals
Among the roughly 1.6 million people living in nursing facilities across the United States, nearly half experience a fall each year. Of those residents, about one in three will suffer multiple falls within the same year. Our firm conducts thorough investigations that uncover all parties whose negligence contributed to your loved one’s harm and holds them accountable through aggressive litigation.
Contact a Greenville Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Now
Your loved one deserves safe, dignified care that protects them from preventable injuries and suffering. Call Jordan Law Center or reach out online to schedule a free consultation with an experienced nursing home neglect lawyer who will evaluate the circumstances of your loved one’s fall, determine whether actionable neglect occurred, and fight to secure the compensation your family deserves. We handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for your loved one’s injuries.
“There is not enough GREAT THINGS I could say about Jordan Law Center.”