More Elderly Are Dying from Nursing Home Falls: What Ohio Families Need to Know
When your mom, dad, or another loved one suffers a serious fall in a nursing home, you’re left with questions that no family should have to ask: Was it preventable? Why wasn’t someone there to help? Did they get the care they needed?
A recent CDC report revealed a sobering reality: fatal falls among older adults are climbing fast. In 2023 alone, more than 41,000 seniors died due to unintentional falls. That’s one out of every 56 deaths in this age group. And the rates are rising fastest among those 85 and older.
As an Ohio nursing home fall lawyer and former registered nurse, I’ve seen just how quickly a fall can change everything—and how often these tragedies are the result of neglect.
Nursing home falls are often preventable
Aging does come with increased fall risks: slower reflexes, vision changes, and medication side effects. But when your loved one is in a licensed care facility, those risks should be carefully managed, not ignored.
Falls are one of the most common signs of nursing home neglect in Ohio. Nursing homes have a legal duty to assess each resident’s fall risk and implement a customized prevention plan. That includes:
- Completing regular fall risk assessments
- Developing and updating individualized care plans
- Providing assistive devices, such as walkers or bed alarms
- Supervise residents with appropriate staffing levels
- Address environmental risks, like cluttered walkways or loose cords
When these steps are skipped or poorly done, residents can fall, and that fall can change everything.
Real-life Ohio nursing home fall tragedy
One of the most heartbreaking examples I’ve seen recently involved Shirley Browning, an 87-year-old Ohio woman with dementia. Shirley fell three times over the course of her stay at Majestic Care of Fairfield. The first fall happened just days after admission when she tripped over her oxygen cord. Despite this, the facility allegedly failed to update her fall prevention plan. Her daughter says staff waited 15 to 16 hours to perform an X-ray.
After her second fall, the lawsuit claims that imaging was again delayed, and no CT scan was ever ordered, despite signs of internal injuries.
Shirley’s third fall was captured on a family-installed camera. She lay on the ground for over an hour before help arrived. Upon her daughter’s insistence to transfer Shirley to a hospital, doctors discovered eight broken ribs, bruises, and skin tears. She died shortly after being placed on hospice care.
Shirley’s story is not just tragic, it’s a call to action.
What really happens after a nursing home fall?
Like in Shirley’s case, injuries from nursing home falls can be catastrophic. I’ve worked with families whose loved ones suffered:
- Hip fractures requiring surgery and long rehabilitation
- Head injuries that led to brain bleeds or coma
- A downward spiral of infections, immobility, and permanent loss of independence
It’s not just about one mistake. These incidents point to systemic problems, such as understaffing, poor training, or failure to respond to resident needs. If your family is asking, How did this happen?, you deserve answers.
Learn more about STEADI, the CDC’s fall prevention tool
When neglect looks like “Just an accident”
After a fall, facilities may assure you your loved one is “fine.” But here are red flags families should not ignore:
- Repeated falls with no updates to the care plan
- Delayed medical evaluation (especially if a CT scan or X-ray was put off)
- Call lights going unanswered for long periods
- Vague or incomplete explanations from staff
To help families spot these dangers, I’ve put together this guide: How to Spot Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect.
Legal protections for Ohio families
Under Ohio law, nursing home residents are entitled to a safe environment, timely medical care, and adequate supervision. If a facility fails to meet these obligations—and your loved one is injured or worse—you may have grounds for a legal case.
A successful claim can:
- Bring accountability to the facility
- Uncover internal policies and patterns of neglect
- Help families recover damages for pain, suffering, or wrongful death
If you’re concerned about whether a facility followed protocol or if you suspect a violation of your loved one’s rights, I can help you gather the facts. As a nursing home wrongful death attorney in Ohio, I understand both the legal and medical aspects of these cases.
Let’s hold nursing homes accountable, together
You placed your trust in a nursing home to care for your parent or grandparent. If they betrayed that trust and caused harm, I will stand with you to seek justice. I bring more than legal experience to every case; I bring my heart, my nursing background, and my unwavering commitment to your family.
If your loved one was injured or lost their life after a fall in an Ohio nursing home, don’t wait. Contact me today to schedule your free consultation.
