Nursing home falls could be fatal
A recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that the number of deaths among elderly individuals caused by falls has risen sharply since 1993.
Often falls involving elderly occur in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. In many cases these nursing home falls are caused by negligent care or a lack of supervision at the facility. The report from the CDC will hopefully call more attention to the importance of providing proper care for elderly in nursing homes to reduce the risk of these potentially fatal falls.
>>INFORMATION: Nursing home falls
The CDC has indicated that falling is the leading cause of injury death among the elderly. Researchers reviewed death certificates from 1993 through 2003 where a fall was indicated as a cause of death for an individual over the age of 65. Some of the findings include:
- The death rate from falls increased 55% over the 10 year period
- The death rate for men rose 45%
- The death rate for women rose 60%
- Over 13,700 elderly adults died in 2003 as a result of a fall
Our nursing home lawyers pursue claims for injuries suffered as a result of the neglect or negligent care of our elderly in facilities nationwide. Residents are at an increased risk of falling since they often have impaired vision, a lack of balance or diminshed strength. However, these risk factors do not excuse a facilities failure to provide a safe environment free of hazards, or sufficient staffing to monitor and supervise the residents.
If a friend or family member has suffered a serious injury as a result of a nursing home fall, our lawyers can review the circumstances surrounding the accident to determine if it could have been prevented. Request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
