Southern California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
Hip fractures can happen almost anywhere in Riverside County when an older adult falls or slips, but hip fractures can be particularly common in nursing home settings when seniors do not have proper care or when facilities fail to maintain the premises in a manner that is safe for its residents. While hip fractures often heal fully when they occur in younger people, a hip fracture in an older adult can be devastating. Indeed, hip fractures in the elderly can have disastrous consequences, resulting in decreased mobility and the need for care for the rest of a person’s life.
Our Riverside County nursing home neglect lawyers want to provide you with more information about hip fractures among older adults in Riverside County nursing homes.
Hip Fractures Happen Most Often Because of Falls
Falls are the leading cause of hip fractures among older adults. According to the Mayo Clinic, hip fractures in seniors happen most often when a person falls from a standing height. Yet these injuries can also occur when an older adult slips and twists in a particular way, or even when an elderly nursing home resident is standing on one leg and has weak bones.
Symptoms of Hip Fractures Can Vary
There are many different symptoms of hip fractures, and a person may not have all of them. Any of the following signs in an older adult in a nursing home should result in immediate medical care:
- Severe pain in the hip or groin area;
- Unable to get up after a fall;
- Unable to walk after a fall;
- Bruising in the hip area;
- Swelling in the hip area;
- One leg that is shorter than the other; and
- Leg turning outward on the side with the injured hip.
Reasons for Falls in Nursing Homes
What are some of the most common causes of falls in nursing homes that lead to serious hip fractures? Any of the following causes could mean that the nursing home is liable for injuries:
- Medications that make a senior dizzy, and the senior does not have adequate supervision;
- Nutritional problems that result from neglect;
- Lack of physical activity, especially at nursing homes that are understaffed and are not providing residents with sufficient opportunities for physical activity;
- Poor oversight at a nursing home due to understaffing, leading seniors who need assistance getting out of bed or using the restroom attempting to do so on their own and falling;
- Spilled liquids on nursing home floors, or water that is not cleaned up in a restroom;
- Torn or loose carpeting in a walkway of a nursing home;
- Broken handrails in nursing home hallways or stairways; and/or
- Poor lighting in rooms or common areas of a nursing home or assisted-living facility.
As the Mayo Clinic emphasizes, hip fractures often keep seniors immobile for long periods of time, which can result in additional health issues like blood clots, bedsores, and infections.
Contact a Riverside County Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer
If you have an elderly loved one who sustained a hip fracture in a nursing home, you should seek advice from a Riverside County nursing home abuse lawyer as soon as possible. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.
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