Broken Bones Can Be a Sign of Nursing Home Abuse

If you made the difficult decision to place a loved one in a nursing home in Illinois, you may find yourself wondering about the care she will receive. Will her needs be met? Will his medication be given on time? How can I know that the nursing home is the right spot for her? Most family members are faced with countless questions when they have someone they love in a care facility, and often, those same family members do not understand how to find the right answers that they deserve.

The biggest issue for many is the safety of their loved ones while in a nursing home. While safety should not have to be a concern, unfortunately it is because countless incidents of nursing home abuse and neglect happen every year in Illinois and across the nation. From ignored requests for help to physical assaults, these incidents can occur in many forms and may be difficult to identify.

Experts agree that a broken or fractured bone can often be a sign of wrongdoing in a care facility. While many elderly patients of a nursing home are predisposed to bone breaks, they usually will not occur if the proper care is provided to a person. Failing to use multiple staff members for transfers of the patient, allowing a patient to ambulate on her own, using the wrong medications, and physical abuse are some common reasons that fractures happen.

Elderly individuals are at a greater risk for complications if they happen to suffer a broken bone when compared to younger counterparts as their ability to heal and recover may be diminished. This may lead to an increased need to fix broken bones surgically and potentially the need to use a medical device, like a plate and/or screws, to stabilize a fracture.

If your loved one has experienced a fracture while residing in an Illinois nursing home, make sure you get the correct information about how it happened. Often, these fractures are due to some trauma and in many cases, that trauma should never have happened if the staff had been acting in a safe and reasonable manner. Consulting with a personal injury attorney is one way to learn about the legal options your family may have if a nursing home accident has affected your life and it can help your loved one move toward a path of recovery.

The legal team at Abels & Annes, P.C. has worked for years to represent the interests of our clients both in and out of a court of law, and if someone you love was hurt, we want to help you as well. We offer a case consultation without cost or obligation to those who contact us toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and we have a licensed lawyer standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to speak with you.

At Abels & Annes, P.C., we believe in fighting for those who have been injured. If we can help you, call us today.

Prior Blog Entry:

Choking a Serious Threat to Illinois Nursing Home Patients, Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog, published December 28, 2015.

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