Making the decision to send a loved one to live at a nursing home is not one that comes lightly. When choosing the perfect facility for a family member, families want to pick a nursing home that they truly believe will keep their loved ones safe. One of the leading causes of injuries to nursing home residents is falling. Typically, nursing homes report a couple of hundred resident falls each year.
Dalli & Marino is a team of nursing home abuse lawyers with extensive experience helping clients who have suffered a bad fall. When choosing a nursing home, you may want to look for a facility where residents partake in physical activity. This is because nursing home falls may be preventable through physical activity.
How Can Physical Activity Prevent Falls in Nursing Homes?
It may seem safer to stay immobile by lying in bed or sitting in a chair. While you are technically at low risk of falling when not moving, the lack of movement makes the physical activity even more difficult. Reduced physical activity can contribute to falling, because a person will lose strength, coordination, and mobility in their limbs if they do not get up and move around for a period of time each day.
Doing simple activities that require physical activity can help residents remain mobile and keep their strength so that when they do have to move, either to the bathroom or to change clothes, they are at a lower risk for a fall. Some examples of physical activities implemented at nursing homes to reduce the risk of resident falls include:
- Going for a walk down the halls or outside the facility
- Swimming
- Making sure that the residents get up from their bed or chair every few hours
When searching for the perfect New York nursing home for your loved one, make sure you seek out a facility that offers regular physical activities.
Why Are Nursing Home Falls Dangerous for Elderly Adults?
When we are young, our bodies can typically take a fall and get back up with just some aches and pains. However, as we age, a hard fall becomes more and more dangerous. As people get older, their bones get more brittle, making it much easier for an older adult to suffer a fracture or break if a fall occurs in a nursing home. If surgery is needed after a fall, older people also face a greater risk for complications during the surgery that could lead to further issues.
If your relative experiences a fall at a nursing home, it is crucial that a New York nursing home lawyer is contacted as soon as possible. This is because you may be owed financial compensation for your loved one’s injuries that can help cover the cost of any medical care they require to heal.
Contact a New York Nursing Home Lawyer
When a nursing home resident falls, they may face a long road to recovery. If your loved one has fallen due to nursing home abuse or negligence, it is crucial that you file a claim to pursue justice for the losses they have faced. To get help with your nursing home abuse claim, contact a skilled nursing home lawyer as soon as possible.
Dalli & Marino are a team of New York nursing home lawyers with experience helping clients since 1996. We are proud to offer our clients the award-winning and dedicated representation that they deserve. To schedule a free case evaluation, contact us here or call (888) 465-8790.
