Nursing Homes Can Reduce the Risk of Residents' Slips and Falls by Implementing Safety Measures

Elderly residents of nursing homes are at greater risk of falling due to their fragility and chronic health problems. If they do slip and fall, they face a high risk of suffering a life-threatening injury that could result in their permanent disability and further reductions in their quality of life—if they survive their injuries. Unfortunately, many of these falls are caused by nursing home negligence and could be prevented if fall prevention safety measures were implemented.

12 Step Nursing Homes Should Take to Prevent Seniors’ Falls

Because falls are such a danger for residents of nursing homes, the nursing home administrators and staff must be educated on the risk factors and have a plan in place to help reduce falls. Steps nursing homes should take include the following:

1. Assess patients who have fallen for risk factors for future falls, and treat the underlying medical condition.
2. Educate the nursing home staff about fall risk factors and how to prevent falls from occurring.
3. Review patients’ medications to determine their risks and benefits and minimize the use of ones that could increase the danger of patients falling.
4. Keep floors free of debris and wet or slippery conditions.
5. Provide physical therapy to patients to help them increase their muscle strength and improve their walking and gait.
6. Provide medications that will help patients increase or prevent the further loss of bone density.
7. Make changes to the environment so it is easier for residents to move around safely, such as installing grab bars, raised toilet seats, and handrails, lowering bed heights, and installing bed rails with a cushion for patients who have dementia and get out of bed on their own.
8. Install bed alarms to warn staff when patients are getting out of bed without assistance.
9. Utilize wheelchair alarms to alert staff if a patient is getting out of his wheelchair on his own.
10. Implement a toilet schedule so patients do not have to go to the toilet without assistance.
11. Provide proper help when patients are moving around, which can include personal assistance or a walker.
12. Provide hip pads to cushion a patient if he falls.

If you or a family member were injured in a fall caused by a nursing home’s negligence, call our experienced and compassionate legal team at (727) 345-4566 to schedule a free consultation.