When a loved one in a long-term care facility suffers a broken bone, the impact can be profound. At Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers, we understand how devastating these injuries are and how negligent practices can lead to nursing home abuse.
Since 1968, Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers has been committed to standing up for those injured by nursing home negligence. We work closely with a team of nurses and a network of attorneys with extensive experience in these cases. Together, we’ve helped people across the state, including $497,500 for a client who broke a hip in a fall, $875,000 for a resident who fractured their neck and pelvis in a wheelchair accident, and $250,000 for a client who suffered multiple falls resulting in hip and facial injuries. We’re here to hold negligent nursing home facilities accountable and help families find the answers and support they need.
This guide walks you through how and why broken bones occur in nursing homes, how common they are, which fractures are most frequent, and when such injuries may signal neglect or abuse. We also explain the consequences of these injuries, what you should do if your loved one suffers bone fractures, how nursing homes can prevent them, and when it might be time to consult a lawyer.
What Causes Broken Bones in Nursing Homes?
Broken bones among nursing home residents often stem from a convergence of factors that uniquely affect older adults in care settings: the risk of falling, frail bones due to aging or osteoporosis, unsafe environments, and under-trained or insufficient staff.
1. Falls
Falls are the leading trigger for broken bones in nursing homes. A resident might slip, trip, or attempt to transfer themselves without proper assistance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the most common cause of hip fractures in older adults. Within care communities, one study noted that about 175,000 residents had fallen in the past 90 days (about 22% of residents).
In nursing homes, medication side effects, cluttered areas, wet floors, poor lighting, unsecured wheelchairs or walkers, and trip hazards all increase the chance of elderly nursing home residents falls.
2. Poor Transfer Techniques & Mobility Assists
Many nursing home residents require assistance getting in and out of bed, moving from wheelchair to chair, or walking with a walker. When nursing home staff members use improper transfer methods, stress fractures, wrist fractures, or hip fractures can occur. Accidents can also happen when faulty or poorly maintained equipment, such as lifts, wheelchairs, or walkers, breaks or malfunctions during use. This includes:
- Lifting without equipment
- Failing to use gait belts
- Leaving a resident unattended during transfers
- Improper handling or forced movement
- Improper use of equipment such as Hoyer Lifts
3. Unsafe Environments & Poor Supervision
Unsafe nursing home conditions raise the risk that fragile residents will fall and suffer fractured bone injuries. Moreover, staff under-training or understaffing results in fewer caregivers to monitor residents, fewer opportunities to assist with safe transfers, and less time to perform fall risk assessments. Thus, there is an increased risk of nursing home fractures.
4. Fragile Bones in the Elderly (including Osteoporosis)
As people age, bones typically become less dense and more fragile. Conditions like osteoporosis in seniors significantly raise the risk that even a minor fall or misstep will result in a fracture. Elderly residents may also have limited mobility, balance issues, muscle weakness, medications that cause dizziness, and chronic diseases.
5. Combined Effects
In many nursing homes, broken bones arise from a combination of the above: a resident with fragile bones (osteoporosis) tries to get up unassisted, the floor is wet or poorly lit, staff fail to assist properly, and the resident falls and suffers a hip fracture. In such cases, it is not simply an accident but may reflect nursing home negligence or poor adherence to care standards.
How Common Are Broken Bones in Nursing Homes?
Unexplained broken bones among nursing home residents are unfortunately common, and the statistics help illustrate the scale and seriousness of the problem.
- According to the CDC, each year, there are nearly 319,000 hospitalizations for hip fractures among older adults (ages 65+).
- Of those hip fracture hospitalizations, about 88% of the visits and 83% of the deaths are caused by falls.
- For long-stay nursing home residents in the U.S., a study found the incidence of hip fracture was about 3 per 100 person/year. With about 1 million long-stay residents, that translates to about 23,000 hip fractures per year in nursing homes.
- Further data suggest that in nursing homes, about 20% of falls lead to serious injuries like fractures.
Given this data, it is clear that broken bones are a real and significant risk in long-term care facilities. Complicating matters, the actual number may be under-reported. Fractures might go unrecorded, and not all falls are properly investigated.
Which residents are especially at risk? Those who are older (especially 85+), have limited mobility or muscle weakness, have cognitive impairment or dementia (which may reduce recognition of hazards or inability to call for help), are under-supervised, or reside in facilities with high staff turnover or under-trained staff.
Which Types of Fractures Are Most Common in Nursing Homes?
When nursing home residents suffer from broken bones, certain fracture types occur more frequently. Each carries its own severity, recovery concerns, and mobility implications.
1. Hip Fractures
Hip fractures are among the most common and serious types of fractures in older adults and nursing home residents. They often result from a fall to the side or backward and can require surgical intervention.
2. Wrist & Arm Fractures
When a resident falls and instinctively reaches out to break the fall, wrist fractures and forearm fractures can occur. These are common “broken bone” injuries in seniors and may also happen during improper transfer assistance.
3. Pelvic and Vertebral (Spinal Compression) Fractures
Pelvic fractures may occur in falls where the force impacts the pelvis directly or when the bones are severely weakened. Spinal compression fractures (vertebrae) may result from minor trauma if the bone density is low or a resident is lifted improperly.
4. Other Fractures: Shoulder, Leg, Ankle
Nursing home residents are also at risk for shoulder fractures, leg fractures, and ankle fractures. While perhaps less life-threatening than hip fractures, they still significantly impair mobility, prolong rehabilitation, and increase the risk of further injury.
