The Causes of Most Falling Accidents in Nursing Homes

Falls are among the most common and most serious incidents in nursing homes. Unfortunately, many nursing home residents fall each year. As a result, they suffer injuries, such as hip fractures, traumatic brain injuries, or long-term disability.

Falls are a major concern for families. They want to ensure that the facility upholds their loved one’s health, dignity, and quality of life.

What makes these cases troubling is that most falls are not simply a matter of bad luck. They result from preventable conditions, like unsafe environments, inadequate supervision, or a facility’s failure to follow proper care standards. When that happens, a nursing home may be legally responsible for the harm caused.

Here is a look at the causes of falling accidents in nursing homes and what you can do if your loved one has been involved in one.

How do Health Conditions Contribute to Nursing Home Falls?

Many nursing home residents live with health conditions, and that increases their risk of falling. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, of the 1.6 million residents in U.S. nursing facilities, approximately half fall annually. About 1 in 3 of those who fall will fall two or more times in a year.

Muscle weakness, balance problems, and slower reflexes happen with age. Even illnesses like Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and diabetes can add to the instability.

Vision and hearing problems, along with common medications that cause dizziness or drowsiness, can also make navigation difficult.

However, while residents may be vulnerable, that does not mean falls are inevitable or excusable. Nursing homes are legally required to take those health conditions into account.

That means assessing each resident’s risks and creating care plans. With that, staff and equipment are in place to minimize dangers. When facilities treat falls as inevitable, that can cross the line into negligence.

Unsafe Environments

The physical environment of a nursing home is one of the biggest factors in falls. Cluttered hallways, poor lighting, wet floors, or missing safety equipment are all unnecessary hazards. Beds and chairs at the wrong height can make it harder for residents to sit or stand safely. Even a broken handrail in a bathroom can turn routine movement into a serious accident.

Nursing homes have a duty to maintain safe premises. When injuries and falls occur because of them, the facility may be liable for negligence.

What Is the Impact of Staffing and Supervision Shortages on Nursing Home Falls?

Inadequate staffing is one of the leading contributors to falls. Unfortunately, many nursing homes are stretched thin, so caregivers are responsible for too many residents at once.

When staff are unavailable, residents try to move around independently, even if they need help.

This often happens at night when staffing is at its lowest, and residents may need assistance getting to the bathroom.

Delayed responses to call lights are another red flag. If a resident waits too long for help, they may attempt to walk alone and fall. Staff who are rushed or undertrained may also fail to use safe transfer techniques or recognize when a resident is unsteady.

The law requires nursing homes to provide sufficient staffing to meet residents’ needs.

When a fall occurs because there were not enough staff or because staff were not properly trained, families may have grounds to hold the facility accountable.

Families May Want to Pursue Legal Action

A fall in a nursing home feels like a turning point for families. A loved one may go from being relatively independent to requiring hospitalization, surgery, or permanent mobility aids. These are not one-time medical events; they have life-altering consequences.

So, when is a fall more than an accident? Nursing homes are legally obligated to provide a safe environment, adequate staffing, and appropriate care for each resident’s needs.

When they fail in those duties, they can and should be held accountable. Legal action helps families recover compensation for medical bills, pain, and suffering, and pushes facilities to improve their standards and prevent future harm.

Falls in nursing homes don’t just happen. They usually point to unsafe environments, inadequate staffing, or neglected care plans. While residents’ health conditions may contribute to risk, facilities have a duty to minimize that risk as much as possible.

Holding facilities accountable is about ensuring safer conditions for all. Nursing homes should be places of care and protection, not places that subject residents to avoidable danger.

If you had a loved one suffer a preventable fall in a nursing home, you may want to discuss your legal options.

At My Nursing Home Abuse Guide, we have the resources to help you start this journey.