Some common reasons for nursing home falls and injuries include:
• Understaffing: failure of the staff to supervise, respond to call lights in a prompt manner, or meet the needs and demands of numerous patients with insufficient number of staff.
• Impaired mental status of nursing home clients: dementia, confusion, disorientation, certain medications, and improper judgement can make clients more vulnerable to falls and injuries.
• Weakened or impaired physical conditions of patients which require varying levels of assistance in ambulation or attending to activities of daily living.
• Environmental hazards: equipment in hallways, tripping hazards, wet floors, beds that are too high, bedrails not in use, and malfunctioning wheelchairs are included.
Every effort and caution needs to be taken when vulnerable people are depending upon safe and conscientious care. When an elderly person falls, it can often lead to a cascade of events that can quickly become life-threatening.