Nursing Home Resident Knocked Unconscious, not Discovered for Hours

This case involves a resident of a nursing home who fell and was not found for several hours. The plaintiff, a ninety-year-old female, was a resident of a nursing home. On the day in question, the resident was leaving her room to go to the dining hall, and she tripped on a book left by her door. The resident was knocked unconscious, severely injured her hip, and had a significant laceration. She was not found until the resident in the room next to the patient’s returned from dinner. Treating physicians claimed that the amount of blood lost prior to treatment worsened the patient’s condition, and contributed to the elongated healing time.

Question(s) For Expert Witness

1. Should the nursing home staff have noticed the resident’s absence and found her sooner?

Expert Witness Response

This type of case can depend on a number of factors including the size of the nursing home, the amount of staff workers employed, and other specifics of the home. Usually, staff members walk through the halls to check on patients, and there is someone who verifies that everyone is present for different meals. This goes to the overall care provided in nursing home facilities, with each patient having care directly tailored to them, and, as a result, either a nurse or staff member should know each patient's schedule. If she was absent from dinner, someone should have been notified and gone looking for her. A full review of the training of the different staff members, and any prior incidents may help explain the different procedural steps required, but, based on the initial facts, it appears that the nursing home’s administration was negligent in their duties.