Admitting a parent or another loved one to a nursing home is often a last option. But sometimes it is the only choice.

Nursing homes provide round-the-clock care by skilled professionals for elderly and infirm loved ones who can no longer be cared for at home.

When you place someone you love in a nursing home, you trust that the facility will care for your loved one, manage their activities of daily living, and protect them from injuries.

Unfortunately, staffing shortages, overcrowding, and a business model that puts profits over people lead to abuse, neglect, and serious injuries in Ohio nursing homes. Elderly people who have suffered injuries in a nursing home or assisted living facility have the right to be compensated for their injuries and to hold the nursing home and its staff members liable for the harm they cause.

When you place a loved one in a nursing home, stay vigilant and be on the lookout for signs of abuse or neglect. If you suspect your loved one has suffered an injury, contact the experienced nursing home neglect attorneys at Robenalt Law to schedule a free and confidential consultation to discuss your situation and how we can help.

Common Nursing Home and Neglect Injuries

When you visit your loved one, be on the lookout for signs of abuse or neglect. Here are five common injuries suffered by seniors in Ohio nursing homes that you should be aware of.

If you suspect someone you love was injured because of nursing home negligence, Robenalt Law can help. The lawyers at Robenalt Law have handled countless cases involving nursing home abuse and neglect.

Falls

Falling is a common problem in Ohio nursing homes. Elderly people are at an increased risk of falling due to poor balance and coordination, medications they may be taking, and environmental hazards in the facility.

When elderly nursing home residents do fall, they are at an increased risk of suffering severe injuries, such as broken bones, head trauma, and cuts or bruises. Because nursing home residents often have compromised immune systems and other medical conditions, these injuries can quickly spiral out of control and result in the permanent loss of mobility and other serious medical complications.

Bedsores / Pressure Sores / Decubitus Ulcers

Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, develop when a person stays in the same position for too long.

Many nursing home residents have decreased mobility and may not be able to move themselves. Nursing home staff members are required to move residents at least every two hours. A failure to move a resident can result in minor bedsores, which initially present as a minor skin irritation. But when left untreated, these small irritations can deteriorate into severe bedsores that penetrate the skin and muscle and even cause bone damage, infection, and other complications.

Medication Errors

Almost all nursing home residents take prescription medications. Nursing home staff members are required to follow the doctor’s and pharmacist’s orders when dispensing medication. But overworked staff who are treating multiple residents at once are prone to make mistakes. These errors can have disastrous consequences. Nursing staff may give a nursing home resident the wrong medication, the wrong dose of the right medication, or too much or not enough of a particular drug. Regardless of the cause, medication errors can cause serious problems for nursing home residents.

Infections

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), millions of nursing home residents suffer from serious infections every year. Common infections include influenza, pneumonia, sepsis, urinary tract infections, infections of the skin and other soft tissues, and COVID-19.

Broken Bones

As people age, their bones weaken and become brittle. As a result, when elderly people fall or are injured while being transferred from the bed to a wheelchair, they are at increased risk of suffering broken bones. Senior citizens who sustain bone fractures are at risk of never being able to walk again.

How to Prevent Nursing Home Injuries

Knowing the most common nursing home injuries is the first step to preventing them. By understanding the most common injuries that occur in Ohio nursing homes, you can be on the lookout for potential hazards or signs of abuse and take steps to prevent them. But even the most diligent family members cannot be with their loved one in a nursing home 24/7, and injuries can and do occur. If someone you love was injured in a nursing home, contact the nursing home neglect attorneys at Robenalt Law today.

How a Nursing Home Neglect Lawyer Can Help

If you suspect someone you love was injured because of nursing home negligence, Robenalt Law can help. We will request the nursing home records to determine what happened, and why. We will attempt to seek a fair resolution with the nursing home and its insurance carriers. And if a satisfactory resolution is not forthcoming, we will file a lawsuit seeking compensation for the injuries your loved one suffered.

The nursing home injuries lawyers at Robenalt Law have handled countless cases involving nursing home abuse and neglect. Our lawyers are available to meet with you to discuss your options. Contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation to discuss your situation and how Robenalt Law can help.

Tom Robenalt started his litigation career representing nursing homes at a large firm in Cleveland. For the past 25 years, he has used that experience to help the families of those injured by nursing home negligence.