• Assessing patients after a fall to identify and address risk factors and treat the underlying medical conditions
• Educate staff about fall risk factors and prevention strategies
• Reviewing prescribed medicines to assess their potential risks and benefits and to minimize use
• Making changes in the nursing home environment to make it easier for residents to move around safely. Such changes include putting in grab bars, adding raised toilet seats, lowering bed heights, and installing handrails in the hallways.
• Providing patients with hip pads that may prevent a hip fracture if a fall occurs.
• Using devices such as alarms that go off when patients try to get out of bed or move without help.

How serious are these falls?

• About 1,800 people living in nursing homes die each year from falls.
• About 10% to 20% of nursing home falls cause serious injuries; 2% to 6% cause fractures.
• Falls result in disability, functional decline and reduced quality of life. Fear of falling can cause further loss of function, depression, feelings of helplessness, and social isolation.

What is the difference between medicare and medicaid? Watch the video to learn more:

žPennsylvania’s Aging Population

The lawyers at DLP investigate and advocate for the rights of the victims of abuse in the Pennsylvania long term care setting. If you believe that a loved one has been victimized by abuse while in the care of a nursing home contact Sean McDonough or Pat Dougherty at DLP.

Bed Sores or Pressure Sores

• Bed sores can develop after extended pressure or rubbing on vulnerable areas of the body. Bed sores are sometimes called pressure sores or pressure ulcers, and most commonly occur on bony or cartilaginous areas of the body.
• Bed sores are classified into five stages based on their severity. Complications may arise among nursing home patients with bed sores due to a lack of blood circulation.

Pennsylvania’s Aging Population

• Pennsylvania has almost 2 million citizens over age 65 (2007 Census)
• By 2020, Pennsylvania’s 60 and older population is expected to be 25% of the total population — more than 3 million people. By 2020, the number of people age 85 or older is expected to increase 10% to more than 360,000 residents. ( 2007 Census)

Long-term care statistics

• Nearly 70 percent of those turning 65 this year eventually will require long-term care in their lifetimes (2006 Congressional Quarterly Report).

Pennsylvania’s Nursing Homes

• Pennsylvania has approximately 725 nursing homes with over 89,000 beds (PA Dept. of Health).
• Nursing homes, on average, are more than 91% occupied (PA Dept. of Health).
• Nationally, the average annual cost for a private room in a nursing home is $74,806. The average annual cost for a private room in a Pennsylvania nursing home is $77,646. In the greater Philadelphia region, the cost is higher, at $91,954 annually (Genworth Financial 2007 Cost of Care Survey).
• In Pennsylvania, the typical nursing home resident is more likely to be female, over the age of 85, widowed and have some form of dementia (PA Dept. of Health).

How big is the problem?
In 2003, 1.5 million people 65 and older lived in nursing homes. If current rates continue, by 2030 this number will rise to about 3 million. About 5% of adults 65 and older live in nursing homes, but nursing home residents account for about 20% of deaths from falls in this age group. Each year, a typical nursing home with 100 beds reports 100 to 200 falls. Many falls go unreported. As many as 3 out of 4 nursing home residents fall each year. That’s twice the rate of falls for older adults living in the community. Nursing home patients often fall more than once; the average is 2.6 falls per person per year.

About 35% of fall injuries occur among residents who cannot walk.

Pennsylvania's Again Population Infographic – DLPLaw

Embed code:

<a href="http://www.dlplaw.com/2011/12/27/pennsylvanias-aging-population-of-senior-citizens-in-nursing-homes/"><img title="pennsylvania nursing home abuse" src="http://www.dlplaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/infographic.jpg" alt="Pennsylvania's Again Population of Senior Citizens Nursing Homes" width="612" height="792" />Pennsylvania's Aging Population - Nursing Homes - DLPLaw</a>

How serious are these falls?

• About 1,800 people living in nursing homes die each year from falls.
• About 10% to 20% of nursing home falls cause serious injuries; 2% to 6% cause fractures.
• Falls result in disability, functional decline and reduced quality of life. Fear of falling can cause further loss of function, depression, feelings of helplessness, and social isolation.

*As selected by Philadelphia Magazine