You hesitated to put your aging mother or father into a nursing home, but you felt it was the right thing to do. Recently, your loved one fell, and the nursing home may not know what happened.
Medical supply manufacturer AliMed provides common reasons for falls in nursing homes. Understand how the accident happened so you can help prevent another one.
Poor fall prevention plans
Some nursing home facilities do not have fall prevention plans in place, or at least not adequate ones. The presence of fall mats, bed alarms, proper lighting and cleared hallways are all ways nursing homes can keep residents safe. Without these parameters in place, residents could end up on the floor.
Overmedication
Some nursing home staff members over-rely on drugs to keep residents docile. Some side effects of such medications include dizziness, poor balance and disorientation, all of which can lead to a fall. There are better, safer ways to take proper care of residents.
Poor staffing
One reason for overly medicated nursing home patients is the facility does not have enough staff members to care for every resident. Staff members may be unable to take care of everyone, so they could use tranquilizers or anti-psychotics to keep them calm.
Pre-existing health conditions
When was the last time your mother or father had a health check-up? She or he may have an undiagnosed condition such as Alzheimer’s, orthostatic hypotension or Parkinson’s that affects gait and balance.
You deserve to know how your parent fell, and you both deserve a nursing home that keeps residents safe. Determine if any of the above reasons lead to a fall.
