DATELINE CHELSEA, NYC — It was a late Tuesday afternoon when Ms. Salmon received a call from the hospital.
“This Dr. Wetzel from Northeast General Hospital. I’m calling about your Mother.” How will you know whether your loved one’s fracture was caused by negligent care? Often the first indication comes from an unexplained, sudden visit to the emergency room.
A worried look passed over Ms. Salmon that was obvious even to her husband from across the room.
“We’ve admitted your Mother to the ER. I am looking at an x-ray of Irene, and I don’t like what I see,” said a physician in a low tone.
“What is it? Is it bad, Dr. Wetzel?” she asked.
“She seems to have suffered some sort of fracture” replied the physician.
“How could this have happened?” asked Ms. Salmon. “How could Mom get a fracture in a nursing home?”
Later that afternoon Ms. Salmon called the nursing home to ask what had happened, but no one there could tell her anything. Nobody even knew if she fell.
ANALYSIS: FRACTURES AND OTHER NURSING HOME INJURIES
What happened to Ms. Salmon in this scenario is not uncommon. Instead nursing home abuse often manifests itself in unexplained fractures that can ultimately be traced to falls. Causes for these falls requires investigation, a study of medical records, and plenty of question-asking. A nursing home should be a safe place for patients, but sadly patients can be at risk of falls for many reasons.
If your loved one has suffered a fracture while under the care of a nursing home, you and your loved one may have legal recourse.
Ask questions. What caused the fracture? Was there a fall? Where did this happen? In the scenario we have presented here, Irene, Ms. Salmon’s mother, may have needed to go to the bathroom and nobody answered her call for help. Or, she may have been so medicated she could not walk properly. Or, she may have fallen out of bed or a wheelchair because the nursing home was not monitoring her properly.
If your loved one has suffered a fracture while under the care of a nursing home, you and your loved one may have legal recourse.
