Many families in Kentucky rely on nursing homes to care for their older loved ones. Many residents at these facilities use wheelchairs to move around, stay independent and improve their daily lives.
If your loved one was injured in a wheelchair accident, it likely was not a random event. These incidents often stem from preventable issues that may reflect troubling practices or negligence by nursing home staff. Understanding how and why the accident occurred can help you secure the support your loved one needs to recover.
Poor maintenance
Wheelchairs that are not well cared for can be dangerous for care facility residents. Broken brakes, damaged wheels or loose parts can cause serious accidents, such as tipping over or not stopping when needed.
If staff members fail to check and fix wheelchairs regularly, problems may go unnoticed. This can lead to falls, broken bones or other serious injuries.
Unsafe transfer practices
Transfer-related falls can often occur in nursing homes. These accidents occur when caregivers ignore established safety protocols when helping residents move in and out of wheelchairs, including:
- Forgetting to lock the brakes before the transfer
- Rushing the process
- Failing to use a gait belt to provide a secure hold
- Attempting a transfer with insufficient staff assistance for the resident’s needs
The resulting falls can be catastrophic and can lead to traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage and complex bone fractures.
Improper sizing and fitting
Nursing home residents generally need wheelchairs that fit their body to comfortably use them. If the seat is the wrong width or wrong depth and the footrests are the wrong height, the user cannot comfortably sit and maintain good posture.
A wrongly sized chair can create strong pressure in small areas which can lead to painful pressure sores. Moreover, a poorly fitted wheelchair can leave residents in awkward, slumped positions for long periods of time. This can cause the elderly person to tip forward or slide off, causing falls and other accidents.
Protecting your loved one’s rights
Pursuing compensation does more than cover your loved one’s medical bills and rehabilitation—it can also help hold the responsible nursing home to a higher standard of care for vulnerable senior citizens. A lawyer can help you identify the specific acts of negligence to support your claim and position you for a more favorable outcome.
