When an elderly family member moves into a nursing home or elder care facility, you want to know that the facility is doing its best to take care of your loved one. But sometimes, things go wrong. Sometimes people act badly. Even though most nursing homes provide the adequate amount of care an elderly person needs, this is not always the case.
Elderly people who are harmed while in a nursing home can often file a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages because of the home’s negligence. Here’s a list of some of the more common cases that can arise when a person is a nursing home resident.
Nursing Home Slip and Fall Cases
So-called “slip and fall” personal injury cases are common because places like nursing homes have a duty to provide safe environments to the residents. When a resident falls because of the home’s negligence, that residents can sue the home for damages.
The reason these types of cases are so important is because falls are a serious health risk to elderly people. Elderly people who slip and fall can develop serious medical complications because their bodies are much less able to heal. In fact, about one-third of all people age 65 and older will slip and fall each year. 11% of those falls will result in a serious injury, such as a hip-fracture, serious sprain, or ligament damage. Many of these injuries require hospitalization and extensive medical treatment or rehabilitation.
Nursing Home Wandering
Some elderly people are able to walk and move but don’t have the mental acuity to know when doing so places them at risk. Cases of nursing home wandering occur when a mentally impaired elderly resident leaves the facility without the knowledge of the facility staff. Such cases can lead to the elderly person suffering harm as a result of exposure to the elements, slip and falls suffered outside of the nursing home grounds, or even more serious injuries that result from other hazards, such as being struck by a vehicle.
Nursing Home Burns and Scalds
Elderly people are often unable to tell when they have suffered an injury. This is especially true of elderly people who have suffered a loss of mental acuity and who come into contact with hot or burning materials. These types of nursing home residents can, for example, suffer scald injuries as result of staying too long in a hot shower or bath, or after being exposed to water that’s too high in temperature. Other elderly people can suffer burn injuries as result of touching hot objects or being exposed to fire hazards that they are unable to recognize.
