Orange County Nursing Home Hip Fracture Lawyer

Hip fractures can be devastating for people of any age, but they are particularly debilitating for older adults. Much too often, hip fractures that occur in nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Southern California result from a nursing facility’s lack of care as a result of understaffing or other issues. When a senior in a nursing home sustains a hip fracture, it is critical to seek advice from a nursing home neglect lawyer in Orange County who can provide more information about filing a claim for financial compensation.

While a nursing home resident can break almost any bone in an accident, hip fractures are particularly serious. Indeed, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is especially difficult for seniors to recover from a broken hip, and many seniors who do sustain hip fractures lose their ability to live independently as a result of the long-term effects of the broken bone. The CDC cites the following facts and figures to underscore the severity and prevalence of hip fractures among elderly adults:

• More than 300,000 older adults aged 65 and up must be hospitalized every year as a result of hip fractures;
• Leading cause of hip fractures are falls;
• Of the seniors who fall and sustain hip fractures each year, about 75 percent of them are women;
• Osteoporosis increases a person’s risk of sustaining a hip fracture injury, which helps to explain why more women than men sustain these debilitating injuries;
• Aging increases a person’s risk of sustaining a debilitating hip fracture; and
• Medical issues, including eye problems and medication regimens, can increase an older adult’s risk of falling and sustaining a hip fracture injury.

Hip fractures can occur in nursing homes for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Tripping hazards in walkways;
• Broken handrails on staircases;
• Lack of grab bars in and around a bathtub or shower;
• Lack of proper lighting;
• Torn or uneven flooring or carpeting;
• Lack of appropriate glasses or lenses;
• Medications causing dizziness; or
• Lack of assistance walking, getting out of bed, or getting around.

The CDC emphasizes that seniors should have their eyes checked, should be screened for osteoporosis, and should go over medication schedules with a physician to help prevent a hip fracture.

If you or someone you love sustained a hip fracture at a nursing home in Orange County, California, it is essential to find out more about filing a claim for financial compensation. While hip fractures often are accidental, even accidents that result in broken bones can be an indication of nursing home neglect or negligence. When a nursing home is negligent and a resident sustains a hip fracture, it is important to seek advice from an Orange County nursing home hip fracture attorney about filing a claim.Contact the Southern California Nursing Home Law Group to learn more about your options.