How Residents are Dropped in Nursing Homes

How Residents are Dropped in Nursing Homes

Numerous residents who require help with transferring to wheelchair, bed, and toilet are dropped in nursing homes. Many drops happen as a result of insufficient staffing and a lack of supervision.

The most common drops are from:

• Transfers from a bed to a wheelchair, or vice versa
• A transfer to and from a wheelchair to shower or bath
• Transfer of a resident on or off a toilet or from one chair to another
• Resident is being placed in or out of a transportation van
• Transfers in or out of a transportation vehicle
• Hoyer Lift transfers where the equipment is broken or not properly used by staff.

Many residents require one to one or even two people to assist for transfers. When there is not enough staff available to assist with the transfer, a fall is likely to occur. Also, some staff members are not adequately trained in transfer techniques. One young arrogant CNA did not want a young girl to help him with transferring a resident to a bed because he thought he could do it by himself. The resident fell and sustained a laceration on his face.

In most situations of a resident injured from a drop, the likely cause was negligence. Rarely, dropping a resident is intentional.

Look at this example of a resident who was dropped: a female resident who required assistance with moving from a bed was dropped by a CNA and she landed on her face and knees. She suffered a fractured femur and other serious injuries. She was rushed to the hospital for treatment but the stress of her injuries caused her to go into cardiac arrest. After being revived multiple times, her body gave out and she died.

Other Resources:

Nursing Home Staff Must Take Precautions While Moving & Transferring Disabled Patients To Minimize Risk Of Dropping

Sloppy Transfer From Wheelchair To Bed Claims The Life Of Nursing Home Patient

Staff Need To Protect Disabled Nursing Home Patients As They Transport Them In Wheelchairs

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