Falls

With over 16 years of experience in litigating assisted living abuse and neglect cases, the Los Angeles fall injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi provide the best services and results to clients. We are dedicated to holding assisted living facilities accountable for the neglect that they have caused and have achieved maximum compensation for victims who have suffered harm from falls in their facilities.

Falls are not only the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among older adults, they are the leading cause of injury-related fatalities among those ages 65 years and older. Falls occur more often among those with Alzheimer’s Disease and related conditions. More than one-third of community-dwelling older adults and more than half of residents in long term care retirement communities and homes fall every year.

A fall occurrence is a result of an older adult’s heightened vulnerability caused by the effects of age, disease factors, environmental hazards, and decision-making in regard to mobility. Studies have shown that those who reported experiencing a fall were significantly more likely to be older, possess chronic disease, and use more medications. Assisted living facility residents commonly have many chronic health conditions that diminish quality of life and most residents are in need of assistance with activities of daily living. The fall injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi in Los Angeles have a great deal of experience litigating such cases, and may be able to help where serious injury and even death has resulted.

Environmental factors may increase fall risk. Older adults who are fearful of falling have a higher likelihood of using assistive devices for mobility due to low confidence. However, an assistive device may interfere with an older adult’s ability to maintain balance when hindered by disruptions; further, appropriate use of the device is influenced by the strength and metabolic demands necessary.

Research has proven that labeling falls as “accidents” is erroneous. Studies have shown that incident reports often do not contain complete data regarded as important for monitoring health outcomes of falls and for implementing fall intervention programs. In a study that reviewed incident reports of an assisted living facility, half of the incident reports showed that staff failed to state the apparent cause or trigger for the fall. This finding confirms that staff do not always consistently use recommended reporting tools to describe fall events, a concern that permeates across care settings.

The reason for a fall is necessary information required to avoid future falls; yet, in many cases, crucial data about fall incidences are missing from incident report forms. The same study that also used videos to capture in-depth analysis of falls events showed that the most common cause of falls by long-term care residents was incorrect transfer or shifting of body weight ensued by trips and stumbles while walking forward. If you believe that your loved one suffered a fall at an assisted living facility, you may want to contact a fall injury attorney in Los Angeles for help.

Assisted living facility staff should enforce evaluations to identify fall risk factors and preventions to enhance residents’ strength and balance. Wellness programs at assisted living facilities that allow medical staff, fitness specialists, and caregivers to regularly communicate about fall risk to residents and the health outcomes of falls gives constant support for those living with fall risk. Exercise classes can be used to observe function and communicate falls efficacy on a regular basis.

Caregiver-supported interventions in assisted living facilities can improve residents’ engagement in daily activities without augmenting the rate of falls. The presence of sufficient staffing within assisted living facilities contributes to successful implementation of evidence-based fall prevention interventions.

Assisted living facility nurses are responsible for creating a culture of fall prevention in the facility. Unfortunately, many states do not require a registered nurse to be a part of the facility staff. Consequently, assisted living facilities risk having untrained staff make decisions that should be founded on a quality nursing assessment. Performing regular assessments to assess whether there has been a change in health conditions and routinely reviewing medications for potential side-effects are crucial aspects of the nurse’s role. The assisted living facility nurse must promptly communicate changes in a resident’s condition to the primary care provider in order to better equip the entire health care team to establish care plan changes that can decrease fall risk. Assisted living facility nurses must take a proactive, preventative approach to lower fall occurrences by giving necessary individualized information to staff whose role is to provide direct care and services and, therefore, most likely to be able to intervene to prevent a fall.

If you or your loved one has suffered injury from a fall due assisted living facility neglect, contact the Los Angeles fall injury lawyers of the Law Offices of Ben Yeroushalmi. We will aggressively fight to get you and your loved ones the compensation you deserve. We will advocate on your behalf to ensure that you do not have to handle this problem alone.