Cullan & Cullan M.D., J.D. | Arizona Legal Blog

For older nursing home residents, broken bones can be life changing, traumatic experiences, and they can take months or years to recover from. Older individuals have weaker, more brittle bones than younger people, making them easier to break and more difficult to heal.

Broken bones at nursing homes are almost always caused by falls. When a nursing home patient falls, the injuries can be extensive: arms, legs, hips, and pelvises can all break from a trip and fall in a nursing home. Some of the causes of falls in nursing homes include:

• Overmedication – when too many drugs are prescribed or when the interactions between drugs are adverse, they can cause vertigo and dizziness, making falls more likely
• Malnutrition – Severe malnutrition can make nursing home residents very weak and cause a loss of balance and coordination
• Poor Nursing Home Equipment – Outdated beds, walkers, and even wheelchairs may not have the restraints and other safety devices needed to prevent falls
• Poor Facilities – Wet floors, poor lighting, and lack of handrails can all cause nursing home residents to fall and break bones
• Mistreatment – Unfortunately, there are nursing home staffs that are abusive and can mistreat residents, bruising them and even breaking their bones
• Understaffing—With many nursing homes not having sufficient numbers or properly trained staff, abuse and neglect may abound.

Nursing homes must take precautions to prevent falls. Many falls can be prevented if the nursing home was providing proper care. Any broken bone that occurs after a fall at a nursing home should be thoroughly examined by an attorney so that the guilty party can be held responsible.

If your elderly loved one has suffered a broken bone at their nursing home, please contact the nursing home neglect and abuse attorneys at Cullan & Cullan M.D., J.D. in Phoenix, Arizona at 602.222.9999 to schedule a free initial consultation.