When placing your elderly loved one in a nursing home, you expect them to receive the best care possible. But this is not always the case, and broken bones or severe injuries can indicate nursing home abuse or neglect. 

Broken Bones and Fractures 

Seniors often suffer bone density issues, and any fall could result in a broken bone or fracture, which could be very debilitating for an older person. According to the CDC, 95% of fractures in people 65 or older result from falls. Some of the contributing factors are: 

• Impaired vision 
• Weakness 
• Health conditions 
• Medications 
• Alcohol use 
• Climbing 
• Inactivity 

Broken bones are a common problem for elder Americans. The most common breaks are hips, thigh, pelvis, back, arm, hand, and ankle or leg. Conditions like osteoporosis can worsen the injury and make it difficult to heal or prolong suffering.  

After a bone injury, some seniors require extra care, a wheelchair, and other assistance with day-to-day tasks and self-care.  

Preventative Measures to Avoid Bone Breaks and Fractures 

Some things nursing homes can do to avoid seniors getting hurt are: 

• Providing safety equipment such as canes, walkers, and wheelchairs if the person is unsteady on their feet. 
• Remove tripping hazards like slippery rugs and things in the way. 
• Handrails in bathrooms and hallways to make it easy for elders to get around. 
• Well-lit areas to avoid any trips and falls.  
• Responding quickly to falls or calls for help, so the senior doesn’t try to get up themselves and get hurt.  

Where to Turn for Help 

Busy nursing homes often don’t have the staff to monitor residents for these types of issues before an injury occurs. Sometimes the problem is improper training or negligence.  

Elders are at significant risk of injuries from falls. Although most nursing homes do their best to keep an eye on all the patients, avoiding every incident is not always feasible. Some injuries could indicate elder abuse or neglect.  You might be entitled to damages if your elder loved one suffers an injury. Contact Baron, Herskowitz, and Cohen today for help. We care about the well-being of your senior.