When you put your loved one in a nursing home, you do so with the trust that they will be adequately taken care of and that their risk for slip and fall injuries will be minimized. But not all are very keen on leaving their parents to the care of other people because of the many horror stories they have heard about nursing homes. For those who have no other choice but to leave their elderly parent in senior care, according to a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer Slip and Fall, here is a list of the most common injuries of older adults living in senior care:
Bed Rail Injuries
Seniors are prone to falls. This is the reason why nursing homes often use bed rails to keep them from falling out of the bed. However, there may be instances when these bed rails malfunction and put the elderly in greater danger. Some of the common injuries associated with bedrail malfunction include suffocation, breathing problems, or worse, cardiac arrest. As such, nursing care staff must carefully monitor and assist the elderly when they need to get out of bed.
Bedsores
Seniors who often spend long periods lying down on their beds can suffer from skin damage. When prolonged, this can result in necrosis and infections. Some elderly people are prone to suffer from bedsores when they have diabetes. For those with worse symptoms, they will need to undergo surgical debridement to prevent the spread of the infection.
Fractures
Seniors have weak bones, and because of this, they have an increased risk of developing hip and neck fractures. These fractures are pretty common, and many of them have to undergo surgery for broken hips. Sadly, more of those aged 50 and above die from complications of their injuries. Some common complications include abnormalities in cardiac and pulmonary functions.
Concussions
Many elderly people suffer from brain injuries when they slip and fall, and often it will result in concussions. While these are not life-threatening, they can become problematic when they happen in patients with longstanding health problems.
Infections
The elderly have a weak immune system, and this predisposes them to suffer from diseases. In nursing homes, the spread is more pronounced because of the confined space. Seniors commonly suffer from pneumonia, skin infections, urinary tract infections (UTI), and influenza. For those with concomitant diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, diabetes mellitus (DM), and cardiovascular disease (CVD), these uncomplicated infections can have significant health risks.
Spinal Injuries
Another common complication of a fall is a spinal injury. When they suffer a terrible fall, they can damage their spinal cord, which can cause limitations in mobility and paralysis. When a senior gets paralyzed, they can suffer from bedsores and pneumonia, which could complicate their health status. Depending on the level of spinal cord injury, patients can have limb paralysis, bowel incontinence, or difficulty breathing. The higher the injury, the more body parts will be affected, and this can pose serious health issues.
Slip and Fall
As people age, the tendency to lose balance is pretty common, and this is one of the major reasons that adult children decide their parents should be in a nursing home. Unfortunately, being in a care home does not mean a slip and fall accident won’t happen there. While nursing homes usually have handrails and non-skid flooring to prevent slips and falls; accidents can still happen, especially when the nursing home staff is not paying much attention to their patients.
Knowing these common injuries in nursing homes can help you assess whether the senior home of your choice has the necessary safety and precautionary measures in place to prevent these kinds of accidents.
