A resident taking prescribed psychotropic medications with known side effects that include loss of balance and wandering fell from a recliner while unsupervised in the Randolph County Care Center in Sparta, Illinois.
The resident was sent to the hospital after the nursing home fall where it was revealed that three of his ribs were broken. Help was only provided after a staff member heard another resident calling for help. The man was lying on the floor unable to speak.
According to the report, the resident’s plan of care included the use of several interventions designed to prevent nursing home falls. However, since there were no witnesses to the event, there is no way to truly know what happened.
The Randolph County Care Center was also fined because the nursing home had no explanation for why three of the residents were taking antipsychotic medications without doctor’s orders.
Antipsychotic medications are frequently used by nursing homes to calm residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Unfortunately, these drugs can have serious side effects of exactly the kind illustrated here.
Confused dementia patients on antipsychotic drugs can forget who and where they are. They try to stand and walk, eat foods that they can’t chew or swallow, and can hurt themselves in serious ways. Often, these injuries can prove fatal.
If you have a loved one who has been injured in a nursing home fall, contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle for a free and confidential evaluation of your case. Our Chicago nursing home lawyers have the experience and expertise to conduct a complete investigation into the causes of the injuries. We would welcome the opportunity to speak to you.
Other blog posts on nursing home falls:
Resident injured in fall from geri-chair in Pontiac
Resident breaks neck in fall from bed
Unsupervised resident falls on smoking deck at Uptown Health