Elder Law

Fear Of Falling Itself Leads to Increase In Accidents

By Levin & Perconti

A new report by the Journal Watch has recently released information that is important for all nursing home residents and those interested in their care and safety. The report explains that both perceived and physiological risks are factors that affect the actual risk the certain seniors will suffer harmful falls.

The findings suggest that even seniors that pose no obvious signs of fall risks may actually fear that they are at risk. As a result of that risk, they actually do fall. As many as 11% of residents in the study were found to have little actual physical risk of fall but high perceived risk. Women, more depressed residents, and those with higher neuroticism rates area all more likely to experience the disconnect. That group was ultimately found to suffer more harmful falls than those who did not belief that the risk of a fall was high.

The organizers of the study explain that the take away from the research is a call to action for clinicians to help take the fear of falling away from vulnerable seniors and for care workers to help assist the problem.

Our Chicago nursing home attorneys at Levin & Perconti have long worked on behalf of victims of tragic nursing home falls. The consequences of these types of accident range from broken bones to death. As this new information suggests, nursing home employees need to be even more vigilant regarding the steps taken to ensure that residents are protected from these dangerous accidents as much as possible. Even slight deviations from the basic standard of care may allow a deadly fall to occur which otherwise would have been prevented. If you or someone you know has fallen at a senior living community, contact a nursing home lawyer to learn what can be done.

Full post as published by Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Blog on October 15, 2010 (boomark / email).