Facing the decision to move a loved one into a nursing home can be heart-wrenching. Still, these facilities can provide essential care that may be difficult to achieve at home. Virginia law dictates that nursing home residents are treated with respect and dignity, backed by a binding contract outlining care responsibilities. While many nursing homes offer quality care, some are negligent in that care, and injuries happen.
It often falls on loved ones to advocate for family members living in nursing homes to help protect them from injuries. This means frequently checking for signs of nursing home neglect or abuse, inspecting their living conditions, and regularly monitoring loved one’s actions, noting any suspicious physical changes or signs of injuries.
Types of Nursing Home Injuries
Here is a list of the most common injuries to nursing home residents and how they occur. This can be a helpful resource when advocating for a loved one and determining if neglect led to the injury and if a nursing home abuse lawyer should be consulted.
Bedsores
Bedsores, also known as pressure ulcers, are common among the elderly who often sit or lie down for extended periods. Experts estimate that 2.5 million Americans develop bedsores each year which can be caused by pressure that reduces or cuts off blood flow to the skin.
Evidence of bedsores include swelling, changes in skin color or texture, and the presence of a liquid when the sore wound begins to drain.
Bedsores typically form where bones are close to the skin’s surface, including the sacrum (the large triangular-shaped bone in the pelvic cavity), the coccyx (tailbone), ankles, elbows, and heels.
If nursing homes have insufficient staff or inadequate training, residents may not be repositioned frequently enough or monitored for early signs of bedsores. Residents also require good hygiene, balanced nutrition, and hydration to help prevent bedsores. Neglecting any of these basic care measures permits sores to develop and worsen.
It is important to treat a bedsore as soon as possible to prevent infection by cleaning and dressing the wound. For severe bedsores, a procedure called debridement, which involves removing dead tissue to promote the growth of healthy skin, may be performed.
Broken Bones and Fractures
A major concern for nursing homes is broken bones and fractures due to many residents, both young and old, having issues with standing and walking because of weakened muscles and mobility issues brought on by aging or conditions like dementia, Huntington’s disease, or another cognitive disorder that would affect their balance.
There are various types of bone breaks or fractures, including compression fractures, which involve small breaks in the vertebrae, and stress fractures caused by repetitive motion, often in the foot or lower leg. However, traumatic fractures are most debilitating and occur when significant force is applied to a bone. This type of fracture can lead to a loss of mobility and independence.
This means the facility’s staff charged with caring for residents should work diligently in monitoring residents to prevent falling accidents, including caring for mobility equipment and ensuring all walkways are clear.
Head Injuries
Falling can also cause a head injury, with the most severe type being a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A head injury must be diagnosed as soon as possible to avoid further injury to the brain, including the development of a blood clot that could cause permanent neurological damage.
Physical signs of a head injury include confusion, drowsiness, loss of balance, and slurred speech.
Head injuries are not always easy to identify in nursing home residents who may already be suffering from a cognitive issue like dementia before the injury, and for them, nothing is more valuable than a loved one’s continuing support and visits who can help identify changes in behavior more readily.
Along with falls, head injuries can also be caused by someone hitting the resident in the head, a mistake during a transfer causing the resident to be dropped, or being hit by an object. We see nursing home staff members as a major cause of injury here at Curcio Law.
Choking
As we get older, the risk of choking increases due to our body’s physical changes. For nursing home residents, instances of choking are even greater due to physical shortcomings or medical conditions. Many senior residents suffer from dysphagia, a condition that causes saliva production to decrease causing a person to have difficulty swallowing and chewing. Because of this, there is a higher risk of food becoming lodged in the esophagus or airways.
Residents are also at risk for choking due to other factors including dental issues, such as missing teeth or poorly fitting dentures; muscle weakness that affects swallowing; and conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and certain cancers, including those of the mouth, neck, or throat.
Gastrointestinal disorders, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can also play a role by impacting how food moves through the digestive tract.
Infections
Each year, millions of nursing home residents experience serious infections, including influenza, pneumonia, sepsis, urinary tract infections, skin infections, and most recently, COVID-19.
Infections are a significant concern in nursing homes, as many residents are at a higher risk of developing them due to the natural weakening of the immune system that occurs with aging. If the nursing home is unsanitary, infections can develop easily therefore the facility itself must be kept clean, including the kitchen, dining areas, living spaces, and common areas where viruses can easily spread.
In addition to preventing the initial infections, nursing home staff should monitor residents’ health due to how the resident’s overall health could be affected rather quickly if the initial infection worsens. For example, a urinary tract infection is common among the elderly and is typically treated easily. However, if it worsens, it could lead to a more serious life-threatening condition such as sepsis.
What To Do After a Nursing Home Injury
The first discovery of a nursing home injury should be a call to action. You need to act quickly to ensure the resident’s safety, address the injury, and hold the responsible parties accountable if negligence is involved.
You should contact the nursing home administrator immediately and file an incident report. Document the injury and ensure prompt medical treatment is provided. If you suspect abuse or neglect, you may need to report the incident to the Virginia Department of Health Professionals or the Virginia Department of Social Services and contact a Virginia nursing home abuse lawyer to determine if filing a civil lawsuit is appropriate. Keep in mind that severe situations may require you to reach out to outside law enforcement.
Having an issue with a nursing home can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to protect a loved one’s safety and well-being. If your concerns are not addressed, an experienced nursing home abuse lawyer can help find a resolution for the resident as well as hold those who caused the negligence or abuse accountable. Call or text Curcio Law at (703) 836-3366, or contact us online for a free case consultation if you suspect abuse or neglect of a loved one while under the care of a nursing home.
Justin Curcio joined Curcio Law in January 2020. Justin received his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law in 2015. After passing the Virginia Bar in 2015, Justin was in-house counsel for an insurance defense firm (Allstate/Esurance/Encompass) for over four years before joining Curcio Law. During law school, he worked for the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the law firm of Bartlett, McDonough & Monaghan, LLP. Contact Justin at jcurcio@curciolaw.com.
