Pressure Sores

Falls

Accidental Injury

Contractures

Abuse

Medication Errors

Overmedication

Malnutrition

Dehydration

Infection Control

Urinary Tract Infections

Care Plans

Specialized Services

Inadequate Staffing

Nursing home falls are serious problems in the nursing home industry. It is well recognized that falls are a major cause of death and major disability for senior citizens, especially since many suffer from osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease.

The applicable federal regulation provides:

Falls (483.25(h))
      (h) Accidents. The facility must ensure that--
          (1) The resident environment remains as free of accident hazards
      as is possible; and
          (2) Each resident receives adequate supervision and assistance 
      devices to prevent accidents.

Injury due to a fall is a legitimate basis for a nursing home complaint, and each year, many nursing homes receive citations from the State following surveys done after a resident suffers an injury due to a fall.

When the surveyors try to determine whether to issue a citation to a nursing home, some of the key issues they look at include:

• Was there an appropriate fall prevention plan in place?
• Were the steps in the fall prevention plan in fact being carried out?
• Were any falls promptly reported to the doctor?
• Was the condition of the resident closely monitored for 72 hours after a fall?
• Was the fall prevention plan revised in light of falls or other changes in the resident's condition which increased the fall risk of the resident?