New Mexico families may be able to sue for financial compensation when their loved one is injured in a nursing home fall. Oftentimes, it is a sign of nursing home negligence and a lack of supervision by the staff.
Nursing Home Residents Are Always A Fall Risk
Falls are unfortunately far too common at nursing homes. Residents are at a much greater risk of an accident because of their physical infirmities and some of the medications that they take. Nearly 2,000 people die each year in nursing home falls. When a resident falls, it will continue to take away from their quality of life as they deal with the resulting injury. They may never fully recover from a fall, and it could worsen other health issues.
Nursing Homes Must Properly Supervise Their Residents
Nursing home staff have a legal obligation to prevent falls. If the senior is considered to be a risk, they must have a fall prevention plan. This must be updated if the resident falls. Nursing homes could change the resident’s environment to remove particular risks. However, this should not always include physical restraints because they do not always work, and nursing homes must avoid unnecessarily restricting a resident’s movement.
Some nursing homes do not have the staff necessary to devise and implement a fall prevention plan. They are trying to economize to maximize profits, and their residents end up unsupervised. While not every single fall can be prevented, many can be avoided with the proper intervention measures. In the meantime, nursing homes will experience an average of more than one fall per resident per year.
Contact A Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer
If your loved one has been injured in a fall, you should contact a nursing home neglect lawyer to figure out if the nursing home was responsible. Families can file a neglect lawsuit if the nursing home was negligent. In many cases, the failure to properly supervise a resident who was a known fall risk is negligence.
