Milwaukee Attorneys can assist with Nursing Home Fall Injuries

Concerned advocates for injured elders throughout Wisconsin

Fall injuries are so potentially serious for elders that the fear of falling alone can be reason to enter a nursing facility. There, elder residents and their families assume that proper supervision and assistance will prevent a deadly or disabling fall. Unfortunately, not all facilities or healthcare workers provide residents with professional and attentive service. Many seniors suffer unnecessarily from falls that could have been prevented if not for nursing home negligence. For more than 35 years, Sperling Law Offices LLC in Milwaukee has advocated for injured seniors and their loved ones to hold nursing facilities accountable for injurious falls.

Serious fall injuries affect elders in U.S. nursing facilities

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1,800 seniors die in nursing homes each year from injuries related to falling, including:

  • Bone fractures
  • Hip fractures
  • Concussions
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Neck and spine injuries

These injuries can result in paralysis or a loss of motor function that makes subsequent falls more likely. Elders may also develop a fear of falling, which can lead to anxiety, depression, helplessness and social isolation.

Causes of preventable falls in nursing home settings

Nursing home residents are twice as likely to fall as are elder adults in the population at large. This is to be expected, because infirmity is the reason the seniors are in the nursing facility. On the other hand, it’s an indication they may not be receiving proper care. The CDC reports the following causes of nursing home falls:

  • Environmental hazards — Wet floors, poor lighting, misplaced grab bars, incorrect bed height and the failure of staff to raise railings on a bed can cause preventable falls.
  • Medications — Antidepressants and sedatives can affect balance and strength, especially if the resident is over-medicated.
  • Incorrect use of walking aids — Facilities must monitor residents to ensure that those who need walkers are not simply using canes, that walkers are properly adjusted to the resident’s height, and that residents do not overextend themselves by walking too far without rest.
  • Failure to outfit the resident properly — Providing residents with nonskid socks and hip padding can prevent falls and reduce injury.

If your elder loved one has suffered a fall, establishing that the nursing home was at fault can be a difficult task. At Sperling Law Offices LLC in Milwaukee, we’re experienced nursing home neglect and abuse lawyers who know how to prepare nursing home cases for trial.

Concerned advocacy in Milwaukee for nursing home fall cases

At Sperling Law Offices LLC, our elder attorneys fight for nursing home residents throughout Wisconsin. If your elder loved one has suffered a fall, call us at 414-273-7777 or contact our Milwaukee office online to schedule a free consultation.