The elderly are at risk of injury and death from hospital falls. Badgley Law Group outlines risk factors for falling to help caregivers protect loved ones.
Watch Out For These Risk Factors To Reduce The Chances Of Elderly Hospital Falls
Falling can bring about devastating changes to the lives and independence of the elderly. Falls can easily fracture bones, which may already be weakened by age or diseases like osteoporosis.
Recovery from this type of injury causes additional problems such as being unable to care for oneself and being unable to engage in exercise, which can help prevent future falls. As a medical malpractice attorney, I’ve seen it all too often: an otherwise healthy elderly patient falls and that begins a slow decline from which they never recover, eventually leading to death.
Falls can happen anywhere and at any time. Shockingly, they even happen in a hospital setting while a patient is surrounded by trained caregivers. Understanding the risk factors for elderly hospital falls can help caregivers and the elderly themselves take steps to prevent falls and injury from occurring. They say “prevention is the best medicine”; and in the case of falls and the elderly that is most certainly true.
Risk Factors For Falls Among The Elderly
Caregivers, including hospital nurses and other staff members, can reduce the likelihood of elderly injury or death due to falls if they are aware of and watch out for the following risk factors:
- A recent history of falls
- Depression
- Altered elimination patterns
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Primary cancer diagnosis
- Confusion
- Altered mobility
Keep in mind that any one of these factors is a risk in and of itself; if more than one factor is present in an elderly family member, the risk of injury and death rises even higher.
Is It Malpractice?
It is natural to wonder if elderly hospital falls constitute medical malpractice. In some situations, they do, but it isn’t always clear that a fall is the result of malpractice. To determine if you or a loved one’s fall is the result of medical malpractice, contact a malpractice attorney at Badgley Law Group in Orlando. We have helped other families get answers to the questions they have about what happened to a loved one. We can be reached at 407-781-0420.
Schedule a free consultation with Orlando attorney Jeff Badgley for a thorough review of your situation and to determine an appropriate course of action.