Watching your parents grow older is often difficult and emotionally taxing, and you may find it particularly hard if your parents are also experiencing declines in their physical or mental health. Chances are, you want to make sure your parent is living in a quality Alabama nursing home if you are not in a position to provide care yourself, but not all nursing homes offer the same level of care. In fact, many American nursing homes are dangerous environments for older adults, and some of them report hundreds of serious resident falls every year.
According to Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, most nursing homes across Alabama and the nation report between about 100 and 200 resident falls annually, even though many residents of nursing homes live there because they require extra care to get around. It is also worth noting that these numbers only reference the number of nursing home resident falls staff members actively report, so the true number of people falling in nursing homes annually may be substantially higher.
While hundreds of residents are falling at the average American nursing home every year, nationwide, about 1,800 nursing home residents pass away due to fall-related injuries annually. Also troubling is the fact that older adults living in nursing homes are four times more likely to die from their fall-related injuries than older adults who live at home or with loved ones.
Why is it that so many older Americans are suffering falls in nursing homes? Often, older people fall due to a combination of risk factors and environmental factors. For example, older people may have vision or balance issues that may make them more prone to falling, and these issues may make environmental hazards, such as loose carpeting, wet floors or what have you particularly hazardous. Many older adults also fail to get the mobility help they need when they need it while living in nursing home settings. Find more about injuries suffered in nursing homes on our webpage.
