California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog
Nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in Sonoma County and throughout the Bay Area should be places where all residents receive the level and degree of care that meets their needs, and where all potential injury hazards are eliminated or minimized through staff attention to residents. Yet much too frequently, older adults in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities suffer serious and life-threatening injuries in avoidable falls. While falls can have many different causes, an issue that is becoming more common in the conversation about nursing home safety and negligence is the level of lighting in private and community areas. What should you know about lighting levels and nursing home falls? Our Sonoma County nursing home negligence lawyers can tell you more.
Falls in Nursing Homes Impacting Elderly Residents
Falls in general can be devastating to older adults, much more so than to younger adults who sustain fall-related injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of adults aged 65 and older fall every year, and those falls result in about three million emergency department visits.
To be clear, even though many falls among the elderly population have causal factors related to the older adult’s health (such as vitamin D deficiencies or balance issues), or certain medications that can cause dizziness and fatigue, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities have a duty to ensure that residents receive proper care and attention based on their needs. As such, facilities are often liable for falls regardless of the senior’s health circumstances.
In a large number of serious falls, the older adult’s injuries are severe enough that they suffer long-term or permanent mobility issues. Hip fractures, in particular, can be especially difficult to recover from, and older adults often need more intensive care after this type of injury. Falls can also result in traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), which can increase mortality risks, as can severe fractures.
How Lighting Can Be a Risk Factor for Falls and Serious Nursing Home Injuries
What does lighting have to do with falls in nursing homes? In short, lower lighting levels in nursing homes can increase the risk of falls. And, based on relatively new research, far too many nursing homes maintain lighting levels below safety recommendations.
According to a recent peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, “areas used by care facility residents commonly have lower than recommended lighting levels, which increases fall risks.” Bedrooms and bathrooms in particular need higher lighting, as do dining halls and general hallways. Lower levels of lighting, statistically, lead to more falls and injuries. When facilities have improper lighting based on resident needs, the facilities can be liable for injuries that occur.
Contact a Sonoma County Nursing Home Negligence and Neglect Attorney Today for Assistance with Your Case
Do you have an elderly loved one at a nursing home in Sonoma County or nearby in the Bay Area who recently fell and sustained a fracture or another type of injury due to poor lighting? Lighting is a serious issue when it comes to same-level falls, as we discussed above, and particularly in nursing home settings and in assisted-living facilities where residents already may be dealing with mobility issues. If improper lighting led to a fall and an injury, it is important to hold the facility accountable, and our Sonoma County nursing home neglect lawyers are here to assist you. Contact the California Nursing Home Law Group today to find out more about filing a claim.
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