Falls in Maryland Nursing Homes: Why They Happen and What Families Can Do

You’ve carefully chosen a nursing home for your loved one. Things seem to be going well. Then, one day, you get a call. Your loved one has fallen and been injured. What should you do? Does your loved one have any legal rights? 

Falls are quite common in Maryland nursing homes. Not all of them are due to nursing home negligence, but many are. If your loved one’s fall was caused by nursing home failures, you may have a legal remedy. 

This article answers many questions about nursing home falls, including how often they occur, why they occur, and more. It also explains how a Laurel nursing home neglect lawyer can help your family. 

How Common Are Nursing Home Falls?

Sadly, falls are one of the most common events in nursing homes. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one in every four adults age 65 and older falls each year. However, for adults in nursing care, the numbers are much higher. Roughly 50 percent of nursing home residents fall annually. 

What Types of Injuries Can Falls Cause?

According to the CDC, about 10 percent of older adults are seriously injured in falls each year. Common injuries from falls in older adults include: 

• Hip fractures 
• Head injuries (including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) 
• Upper extremity fractures (shoulder, arm, wrist, hand)
• Pelvic fractures 
• Rib fractures 
• Dislocated joints 
• Contusions (bruises) 
• Sprains 

Falls that cause severe injuries can lead to a loss of mobility. Once older adults lose mobility, it can be difficult to regain. Also, while they are immobile, they become more prone to injuries like pressure ulcers (bed sores). 

Federal data on nursing home falls show that between 2022 and 2023, nearly 42,864 residents in Medicare-approved nursing homes experienced falls that caused major injuries or hospitalization. Of these, 1,911 residents died.

What Causes Nursing Home Falls?

Generally, the reasons for nursing home falls can be grouped into three categories: those related to the resident, those related to the home’s physical environment, and those related to staffing and supervision issues. 

Resident-related Issues 

Some of the changes that naturally occur as we age increase the risk of falls. For example: 

• Lower-body muscle weakness (sarcopenia) reduces leg and hip strength, making certain movements more difficult. 
• With age, reflexes slow and reaction times increase, making it more difficult to “catch” oneself before or during a fall 
• Gait changes, such as taking shorter steps with a wider stance, increase the likelihood of tripping and falling. 
• Vision changes make it more difficult to see hazards,  judge distances, or gauge depth. 
• Inner ear changes can affect balance. 

In addition to these common changes, some older adults may have cognitive issues, such as dementia, that affect their ability to appreciate unsafe areas. Also, certain common medications can cause dizziness, increasing the risk of falls. 

Environmental Issues 

Falls can happen because of environmental hazards. These can include: 

• Wet or slippery floors
• Uneven floors 
• Uneven steps 
• Unsecured rugs or mats 
• Clutter in hallways or other walking paths
• Poor lighting 
• Missing bedrails or handrails 
• Broken or loose bedrails or handrails
• Improper bed, toilet, or furniture height

Staffing and Supervision Issues 

Nursing homes cannot properly care for their residents without staff. However, nursing homes sometimes fail to hire the correct number of staff to cover their population. Some nursing homes hire enough staff but fail to properly train them. Some facilities and employees simply don’t take their jobs seriously. Examples of these failures include: 

• Failure to assess each resident’s fall risk as required by federal law
• Inadequate staff to respond to call lights or other resident requests or emergencies 
• Insufficient staff to monitor high-risk residents who might  wander into dangerous areas without supervision
• Failure of staff to communicate resident issues and needs during shift changes
  

Are All Nursing Home Falls Negligence? 

No. As anyone who has ever tripped over their own feet or missed that last stair knows, sometimes a fall is no one’s fault. However, many nursing home falls are caused by nursing home negligence. 

Legally, negligence occurs when:1) someone has a duty to take a certain action; 2) they don’t do it; and 3) their failure causes injury to another person. 

However, nursing homes have a duty to each of their residents to follow the accepted standards. So, if your loved one fell while walking on a clean, dry, uncluttered floor, the nursing home is probably not at fault. However, if they fell because the nursing home hadn’t cleaned a spill or because there wasn’t adequate supervision, the nursing home may have been negligent.  

Get Legal Help with Nursing Home Falls 

If your loved one suffered an injury after a fall caused by nursing home neglect, you have rights. An attorney can help your family protect those rights. If you need a Laurel nursing home neglect lawyer, contact the Law Offices of Thomas E. Pyles. Our attorneys have decades of experience helping families of nursing home residents. To learn more about how we can help your family, call 301-705-5006 or use our online contact form.