Why is there such a high number of falls and injury in Louisville nursing homes and across Kentucky?  What can be done to protect your loved ones from nursing home injury and abuse, neglect or negligence?

The appropriate level of care for our loved ones who reside in Louisville, Lexington and Kentucky nursing homes can be a controversial topic. Kentucky law establishes a standard level of care for all patients in our nursing homes and extended care facilities.  Unfortunately, this standard of care is often not met.

While recent studies have shown many retirement communities and nursing homes provide a good standard of care, the number of falls and injury in nursing homes across the country and here in Kentucky is simply too high.  According to recent statistics provided by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the average number of falls in a nursing home across the nation is two falls per bed, per year.

According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation the average number of certified nursing facility beds in a Kentucky nursing home is 94.  This means the average nursing home in Kentucky experiences more than 180 patient falls each year.

The most common forms of injury in nursing homes consists of slips, falls, and drops.  Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for senior citizens in the United States.  This includes broken hips and shoulders, head injury and traumatic brain injury.  Whenever a patient is admitted to a Kentucky nursing home, they should be assessed for their level of fall risk.  Risk factors for a fall include, but are not limited to:

• A prior fall (those who have fallen previously are more likely to fall again in the future)
• Medication(s) which might affect balance
• Mobility and range of motion in limbs

Every Kentucky nursing home should implement appropriate precautions in order to protect each patient from slips, drops or falls.  For example, it would be irresponsible and arguably negligent to place an elderly patient with an elevated fall risk in a high bed without guard rails.  Assistance should be required for transfers to bed or a wheel chair for many less mobile patients.

If you or a beloved family member in a nursing home has suffered due to slips, drops or falls and injury in Louisville nursing homes and across Kentucky we invite you to contact us or call (866) 583-9701 for a free initial consultation.  There is no cost to your family out of pocket as we work on a contingency fee basis.