Layton Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

Elderly people can experience many different injuries. Their bodies are usually more fragile, increasing the possibility they will hurt themselves. Some of the most common nursing home injuries include falls, bedsores, or improper medication.

Nearly three-quarters of nursing home residents suffer slip and fall accidents every year. Most nursing home residents fall more than once a year. Elderly people are at a higher risk to fall because they are less agile and have reduced mobility. Approximately 1,800 people die in nursing homes because of falls every year. Some of the falls occur because the nursing home staff or organization were being negligent. Some of the ways that negligence can cause nursing home injuries are wet floors, poor lighting, incorrect bed height, and improperly fitted wheelchairs.

Some elderly patients also experience bedsores. Bedsores are sores that develop from intensive pressure on certain parts of the body. They can occur when an elderly person is lying on a part of his or her body for an extended period. Bedsores most commonly occur on heels, ankles, hips, and tailbones. Some elderly people are not physically capable of moving themselves. In situations where the patient is immobile, the nursing home staff is responsible for helping him or her move so that he or she will not develop bedsores.

Another common nursing home injury stems from residents overdosing or taking the wrong medication. Many residents have a difficult time remembering how much of a medication they are supposed to take and sometimes even which medications they are supposed to take. Nursing home staff are responsible for making sure that residents take the correct dose and type of medication. If your loved one suffers harm because he or she took the wrong medication, it could be a sign of caregiver neglect and you should speak with a skilled Layton nursing home abuse attorney.