A potential elopement episode is one of the most common fears of families when placing their loved ones in Maryland nursing homes. This is a resident’s unsupervised act of wandering or leaving the facility, making them a “flight risk.” They often do this as a...
Nursing Home Abuse
Can incontinence increase the risk of nursing home bedsores?
Any adult child will naturally feel profound frustration upon learning that their elderly loved one endures sitting on soiled clothing due to nursing home negligence. After all, the facility has broken their trust when they expect nothing but dignified care. Adding...
How does osteoporosis impact your loved one’s nursing home fall?
Sometimes, suffering hides in silence. Referred to as the “silent disease,” osteoporosis quietly develops as it weakens a person’s bones. The bones’ brittleness goes unnoticed until a spine, hip or wrist fracture happens. Your elderly loved one may be particularly...
Bedbound: Fatal complications of bedsores in nursing homes
Anything left untreated can only worsen and develop fatal complications. From a minor softened tissue area and shallow skin loss, bedsores can turn into a crater-like open wound, which progresses into infections deep enough to penetrate several areas of the body....
What can you do to prevent wheelchair falls in nursing homes?
Maryland has laws in place to hold nursing home staff accountable for preventable falls. Nursing home supervisors must implement risk reduction strategies and ensure staff are always attentive to the needs of their patients. Evaluate how much assistance a client needs...
What are the top three predictors of nursing home falls?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 50% to 75% of nursing home and assisted living residents in Maryland and across the country suffer one or more falls annually, which can lead to serious injury. Helpfully, recent studies...
What is Maryland nursing home elopement?
Nursing home elopement in Maryland is when a resident leaves a nursing home without supervision or permission. It’s a dangerous and life-threatening issue that puts the resident at risk. Nursing home elopement occurs for several reasons, including confusion, wandering...
What are pressure ulcers, and why do they happen?
Individuals confined to their beds or with limited mobility are particularly susceptible to pressure ulcers, commonly known as "bedsores." This type of skin injury occurs because of prolonged pressure on the skin and exposure to moisture, friction and skin pulling. In...
How to protect an elderly parent from falling
An elderly parent getting injured in a fall is often the moment when an adult child realizes that a parent is struggling. The fall could be a warning sign that you mom or dad can no longer live independently in Maryland. Whether your parent lives at home or in a...
Fractures and the elderly
Families in Baltimore County and across the state of Maryland demonstrate concern about the care their loved ones receive in nursing homes. Bone fractures occur in large numbers, and families want answers. Common injuries from nursing home falls include broken ankles,...