According to statistics, almost 300,000 hip fractures occur in the United States each year. Nursing home residents account for about 8% of this number. Hip fractures are the second most common reason to become hospitalized. Over 20% of the residents that suffer from hip fractures die within a year after having their hips fractured.
“Nursing homes should provide a safe and comfortable environment for elderly people, not put them at risk of major injuries like fractured hips,” says Washington, DC nursing home abuse lawyer. Unfortunately, many patients do not get proper care in nursing homes. It is possible to avoid the injuries, but they continue to occur due to negligence from nursing home caregivers.
Which Gender Suffers from Hip Fractures the Most?
Women are three times more likely to suffer from hip fractures than their male counterparts. Because estrogen levels in women drop after menopause, women lose bone density higher than men. Low estrogen levels accelerate bone loss and result in weakened bones.
Furthermore, female residents suffer hip fractures more than men due to their smaller frames and weaker bones. As a result, women are at risk of falling more than men, and this fall can result in hip fractures.
When to Hold a Nursing Home Responsible for a Hip Fracture?
Every nursing home owes its patients the responsibility of care. Part of this responsibility includes assessing each resident risk of falling and taking reasonable precautions to avoid injury. When there is a breach of this responsibility, nursing homes can be held accountable for any injuries and damages caused by their negligence.
Many nursing home residents, for example, require bedside safety rails or access to a walker. When nursing home staff fail to provide such necessary mobility aids, the nursing home may be held liable for any accidents or deaths.
The Leading Causes of Hip Fractures Among Nursing Home Residents
Slips and falls are the most common causes of fractured hips in the elderly and are all too common in nursing homes. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics, an average 100-bed nursing home experiences 100 to 200 falls per year, with 1,800 patients dying because of the injuries sustained.
Elderly people in nursing homes might fall for a variety of reasons. Their muscles are weak therefore having more difficulty walking from one position to another. However, neglect within the nursing home frequently worsens these issues.
Environmental hazards account for about 27% of all reported falls each year. The most common hazards are poor lighting, slippery floors, wheelchairs, beds not correctly fitted to the resident, inadequate monitoring, and failure to assist.
The Effects of Fractured Hips on Nursing Home Residents
Hip fractures can cause physical and emotional problems. Residents may need surgery after sustaining a fractured hip injury. The healing period following surgery may create difficulty in walking, contributing to depression.
Patients may also become off-balance and reluctant to rehabilitation if they take additional drugs following surgery. Also, patients are frequently relocated into nursing homes and out of hospitals following hip surgery. The relocation lengthens the time spent in a nursing home.
Furthermore, fractured hips also have long-term consequences, such as an increased risk of subsequent falls and requiring more physical therapy in the long run.
How Can a Nursing Home Avoid Hip Fractures?
Preventable falls are responsible for a large number of hip fractures. For the safety of the residents, there should be an implementation of adequate lighting. In nursing homes, the lighting should not be excessively dim. Residents should also have easy access to light switches.
Since wet flooring might cause falls, caregivers should keep residents off newly mopped floors till they are dry and safe. Also, securing carpets and rugs goes a long way in protecting residents from tripping hazards. Tripping over a rug or carpet can cause impairment in coordination resulting in a fall.
Objects should be reachable from waist level or lower. A fall could occur if residents bend their bodies in uncomfortable positions to grab an object. Handrails are also needed on stairwells and long corridors to help residents move around the facility.
Wheeled chairs are not appropriate for residents. Also, the nursing home should provide armrests on the seats. This provides something to grip on for the residents while getting in and out of the chair.
Need for Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys
If your loved one suffered a hip injury in a nursing home, you should consult with an experienced attorney. Even though police action may result in the arrest of the offenders, victims may still be stuck with large medical bills or financial hardship. Skilled nursing home abuse attorneys can be helpful in these situations.
Experienced nursing home abuse lawyers have seen the horrors of abuse personally through previous clients and are capable of helping victims recover from their injuries. An attorney for nursing home abuse can: gather proof bringing a lawsuit against nursing home employees and administrators. They also assist victims in receiving monetary compensation for medical bills and other costs.
Nursing home abuse claims may result in a cash settlement to compensate for lost savings, medical bills, and other expenses. An experienced nursing home abuse attorney can fight on behalf of their clients to obtain the maximum compensation feasible in the shortest amount of time.
Conclusion
The elderly in nursing homes are at risk of hip fractures that can lead to health issues after surgery. Therefore, staff and management at nursing homes should do everything possible to prevent hip fractures from occurring in the first place. Since falls are the common cause of hip fractures, nursing home personnel can prevent this by giving at-risk elderly residents wheelchairs or helping them up from beds or chairs.
Furthermore, if you or a loved one experiences a hip fracture in a nursing home, you must contact the appropriate authorities. An experienced nursing home neglect attorney will help get all medical documents and evaluate them to see if a lawsuit against the nursing home is achievable. If the cause of the injury was negligence, filing a lawsuit should follow immediately to recover damages and help prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
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