Nursing home residents are at an elevated risk of experiencing a fall because they not only need special care and attention, but hazards also abound.
Intrinsic risk factors often include the natural bodily decline that comes with age, underlying health conditions and prescription side effects. There are also environmental dangers, such as cluttered equipment in hallways, defective assistive devices and poor lighting issues. All these threats are preventable through staff training.
Conversely, insufficient or lack of reasonable training can have devastating consequences. Falls remain to be the primary cause of injuries and deaths among 65 or older adults. Thus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges caregivers to do their part to protect senior adults from harm.
Adequate staff training can save lives
Family members entrust their loved ones to nursing homes, expecting facilities to fulfill their duty of care. One of the primary ways to deliver such commitment is equipping the staff with the knowledge and skills to look after every resident’s safety and well-being.
Staff training can cover the following:
- Policy review: When to call a doctor, how to control the spread of infection, and how to document falls by checking records of medical history and developing a plan of care
- Resident handling: Exercise programs, proper transfer and lifting techniques, and supervision of daily activities, such as bathing and using the restroom
- Medication management: Accurate administration of medicines, such as sedatives and anti-anxiety, to avoid overdosage that can cause dizziness
- Emergency response: Appropriate and swift action facilitating first aid and calling response teams
Investing in staff training can build a safer and more supportive environment for the residents. Unfortunately, some nursing homes still fail to prioritize it, leading to severe injuries and deaths.
Inadequate staff training can be a form of negligence
Families can hold the nursing home management and staff liable for the harm inflicted on their loved ones. However, proving negligence due to poor staff training can be overwhelming without professional guidance. Affected parties can benefit from a Maryland legal team who can help gather proof showing how the facility breached its duty of care and directly harmed the resident.
