Unexplained
Injuries
Unexplained injuries may be a sign of neglect, or they may be the natural product of a disease process. As the elderly tend to have brittle bones and bruise easily, great care must be used when transferring the elderly, especially the immobile. Unexplained injuries can take many forms. Some of the common unexplained injuries could be the following:
- Fractures
- Bruising on the arms and legs
- Swelling
- Change in mental status
- Complaints of pain
- Cessation of breathing
- Infectious process
A medical expert may be needed to determine whether an unexplained injury was due to trauma or some negligent act versus the patient’s natural disease process or condition. Sometimes bruising, which can be an indication of rough handling, may not be properly documented by the nursing staff. Some nursing homes are adept at charting defensively and purposely do not chart enough information to assess the cause of a particular injury that may be due to a fall or other traumatic event. If your loved one experiences such an event you should insist on seeing the incident report or some written record documenting this injury. You may also want to insist that your loved one get evaluated by an outside medical doctor or hospital.
If you have questions about an unexplained injury or incident feel free to
contact us for a free consultation or additional information.
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