Fall and Fractures in Knoxville Nursing Homes
Protect Your Loved Ones from Potential Abuse and Neglect of Knoxville Nursing Homes
Each year, due to illness and incapability to meet the intensive care needs of the elderly at home, people admit thousands of seniors to nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other nursing facilities. Although many nursing homes provide high-quality care and attention to your loved ones, neglect and abuse is major issue. There can be various forms of abuse, including failing to prevent falls and fractures, due to neglect of the nursing home staff.
The Higgins Firm is a nursing homes abuse law firm in Tennessee dedicated to protecting the rights and lives of your loved ones. We ensure that nursing homes should not harm or abuse fragile residents in any way. Our experienced attorneys have years of experience dealing with cases of preventable falls and fractures in Knoxville nursing homes.
If you believe that a care facility is not taking care of your loved one as it should, you can get in touch with us. We know what to do about it. Our highly qualified and professional team of lawyers and staff will investigate the case and litigate your claims. If your loved one has experienced a fall and fracture due to nursing home staff abuse or neglect, we take robust measures to help so that your family recovers compensation.
Some Statistics About Fall and Fractures in Knoxville Nursing Homes
During 2013, more than 9700 complaints of abuse by nursing homes were filed. A large percentage of seniors experience falls and fractures while staying at nursing homes. This is due to the negligent behavior of staff members. According to statistics, nearly 5% of senior US citizens aged 65 and above live in nursing homes. The death toll due to falls at nursing homes has reached 20% in this age group.
Almost 35% of injuries occur in nursing home residents who cannot walk or move due to falls. 50% to 75% of residents of nursing homes fall every year, while a nursing home having 100 elderly residents report almost 100 to 200 falls. Almost 10% to 20% of falls at nursing homes lead to serious injuries, while 2% to 6% results in some fractures.
In one of the incidents, the state took action and barred a renowned nursing home in Knoxville because it didn’t provide medical care to a dementia patient who fractured her knees due to a fall. The nursing home left her in pain and unattended for nearly nine days. This and numerous such incidents commonly occur across the nursing homes in Knoxville.
Why Falls and Fractures Commonly Occur at Nursing Homes in Knoxville?
Falls can happen anytime at different places and in different ways. Many older people live in resident nursing homes in Tennessee fall every year. If this happens, the important thing is to find out the incident’s underlying cause because many falls are simply accidents, however, some are not.
Often falls and fractures that occur in nursing homes in Knoxville, are the result of the home or facility being understaffed. This simply means that they don’t have enough staff to look after each patient properly. Moreover, most people living in nursing homes suffer from medical conditions making them more vulnerable to falls.
Most falls at nursing homes are preventable by implementing a proper fall prevention plan. Upon admission, a nursing home must conduct a thorough fall risk assessment of each patient to minimize risks. Additionally, they should ensure proper fall prevention training of every staff member to prevent falls and fractures.
Furthermore, nursing facilities should remove any environmental hazards that can lead to falls, including slippery and wet floors, poor lighting, and things left here and there. The nursing facility’s mobility aids should be in excellent working condition all the time to facilitate patients’ movement. If any nursing home doesn’t properly implement fall prevention measures, then a fall and fracture in Knoxville nursing home can be a neglect case.
Seek Help of Professional Law Firm If You Find Any of the Neglect Signs at Nursing Home
We all wish to provide our loved ones with the best care and attention in their last years but are often unable to do so due to neglect and abuse of nursing homes in Knoxville. If you observe any signs of abuse or neglect at the nursing home where your loved one is living or your elderly experience a fall and fracture, you should immediately contact our law firm. We have years of experience in handling cases of falls and fractures at nursing homes in Knoxville, TN. We leverage our knowledge, experience, and resources to help you get appropriate compensation for your loved ones they deserve.
If your loved one is residing in a nursing home and complaining about abuse or neglect, you shouldn’t dismiss their complaint. Take it seriously and seek professional help from The Higgins Firm. We attend to your case and provide you with robust legal support at every step of the way.
Call us now to schedule your consultation and discuss how our experts can help you!