Nursing home neglect or nursing home negligence can take many different forms in Ohio. Many nursing home abuse injuries result from passive neglect, which means that a patient or resident was harmed as a result of the facility’s negligent failure to provide adequate care. Although many nursing home abuse injuries happen because a staff member or employee intentionally injures a resident through physical or emotional abuse, injuries like broken bones can happen because a resident was not being monitored effectively and fell.
Falls are extremely common in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, and they can lead to severe and disabling injuries among seniors. The following are some things to know about falls and nursing home neglect in Ohio.
Ohio Has Personnel Requirements in Nursing Homes
Many states have specific patient-staff ratios for nursing homes, meaning that skilled nursing facilities need to provide a specific number of staff members or nurses based on the total number of patients or residents at the facility. While Ohio does not have this kind of ratio requirement, it does have personnel requirements for nursing homes. Under Ohio law, every nursing home must have enough direct care staff members employed on every shift to meet the needs of the nursing home residents. The law requires that residents’ needs be met in an appropriate and timely manner, and the law says that each patient should have a minimum daily average of about two and a half hours of direct care.
Most falls in nursing homes happen because facilities are understaffed, and patients are not properly or adequately monitored. If an Ohio facility does not have sufficient staff and a resident suffers an injury in a fall, it may be possible to file a nursing home negligence lawsuit.
Falls are Extremely Serious Among the Elderly
Although a slip and fall injury might be relatively minor for younger people, falls can be devastating for older adults. As the National Council on Aging (NCOA) explains, about 25% of all Americans aged 65 and older will fall each year, and those falls are the leading cause of death among seniors. To be sure, falls among the elderly result in millions of emergency room visits every year, and more than 800,000 hospitalizations. Of the elderly adults who suffer fall-related injuries, about 27,000 die annually.
Senior Falls in Nursing Homes are Preventable
Falls are preventable. It is critical to remember that nursing homes and assisted-living facilities can make safety improvements to the premises in addition to providing additional staff members so that seniors are not at risk of a fall. When a fall does happen, the facility may be liable.
Contact an Ohio Nursing Home Neglect Attorney
It can be difficult to know whether an elderly loved one’s injuries in a nursing home resulted from nursing home abuse or neglect. While you might be unsure about whether or not to file a claim, it is always a good idea to speak with an experienced Ohio nursing home negligence lawyer about your case. An advocate at our firm can assess the facts and help you to determine whether you have a valid claim. Contact Dworken & Bernstein to speak with one of our nursing home abuse lawyers about your case.
