We expect nursing homes to provide good care and keep all residents safe. Unfortunately, that is not often the case.
Thousands of nursing home residents suffer a severe, sometimes life-threatening subdural hematoma nursing home injury yearly, and many of these mishaps occur due to a nursing home’s negligence.
A subdural hematoma occurs when blood pools between the skull and the brain’s surface.
It is usually caused by a head injury from a fall accident and is highly fatal, especially for seniors.
Did you or a loved one suffer a subdural hematoma due to nursing home abuse or neglect?
Our experienced attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, will help you and your family obtain the justice you deserve.
Contact our nursing home abuse lawyers at (888) 424-5757 for a free consultation.
What is a Subdural Hematoma?
A subdural hematoma is an accumulation of blood between the skull and brain, characterized by blood leaking from a torn vessel into the dura mater (the outermost membrane between the brain and skull).
This injury puts pressure on the brain, potentially leading to breathing problems, coma, seizures, and death.
Acute and Chronic Subdural Hematoma
There are three main types of subdural hematoma: acute, subacute, and chronic.
- Acute: Acute subdural hematoma is the most common type of traumatic intracranial bleeding. It occurs most often after a head injury and is the most dangerous. Symptoms are often severe and appear within minutes to hours of the injury.
- Subacute: The signs of a subacute brain bleed can take hours, days, or weeks to appear.
- Chronic: Chronic subdural hematoma is most common in older people after a fall. In chronic subdural hematomas, blood vessels burst, leaking blood into the dura mater. However, the process occurs slowly, and signs may not appear for weeks or months.
What Causes a Subdural Hematoma?
Subdural hematomas happen in up to 25% of people with head injuries and are especially common in older adults.
As the body ages, the brain shrinks within the skull, and the space between the brain and skull widens, stretching the veins inside the membranes between the skull and brain.
These thinner veins are more likely to stretch and tear in a head injury.
Additionally, older adults are more prone to falls due to reduced balance, coordination, and other age-related issues.
Symptoms of a Subdural Hematoma
A person may experience the following signs when a subdural hematoma occurs:
- Persisting and severe headache
- Confusion
- Drowsiness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- Changes in vision
- Loss of balance
- Difficulty walking
- Weakness in one side of the body
- Memory loss
- Personality changes
- Disorientation
Symptoms can worsen as the brain bleed progresses.
Signs of a severe subdural hematoma include:
- Paralysis
- Breathing problems
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
- Coma
If you or a loved one suffered a head injury, go to the hospital immediately.
A doctor must assess the patient and perform brain scans as soon as possible to rule out the possibility of a brain bleed.
Severe head injuries can lead to permanent brain damage, coma, or death when left untreated.
Treatment for a Nursing Home Subdural Hematoma
The treatment for subdural hematomas varies, depending on the severity of the brain bleed.
If brain swelling occurs, healthcare providers usually perform surgical drainage to relieve pressure on the brain.
Brain surgery is sometimes necessary for a subdural hematoma with thick or large blood clots.
On the other hand, a mild brain injury may only require bed rest and medications.
The body can reabsorb a small amount of blood over a few weeks or months.
What Causes a Subdural Hematoma Nursing Home Injury?
Falls are the leading cause of nursing home injuries, including subdural hematoma.
Older people have an increased risk of falls and head injuries.
Nursing homes must reduce this risk by developing and implementing fall prevention strategies and identifying residents with the highest fall risk.
Unfortunately, nursing home neglect is a widespread problem across the US.
Many residents suffer nursing home falls due to:
- Environmental Hazards: Uneven walkways, poor lighting, clutter, and other slip and trip risks can easily lead to a fall, especially in an older adult with poor eyesight, coordination, and balance.
- Lack of Supervision: Every nursing home resident requires adequate supervision to reduce fall risk. Sadly, many nursing homes are understaffed, leading to unsupervised residents attempting to move around or get out of bed without assistance.
- Poor Risk Assessment: Some residents are more prone to falls than others, including those with degenerative diseases like dementia. Furthermore, residents taking certain medications, such as blood thinners (drugs that slow down blood clotting), have a higher risk of brain bleeds. Failure to consider these factors can increase fall risk in the most vulnerable residents.
- Physical Abuse: Nursing home abuse is a common yet underreported problem. Many nursing home injuries, including brain bleeds, result from physical assault on residents, either perpetrated by staff members or other residents.
When is a Nursing Home Liable for a Head Injury?
A nursing home could be liable for a resident’s head injury if its negligence led to the accident or incident that caused the injury.
Common reasons for a nursing home’s liability in head injuries include:
- Failure to provide adequate mobility assistance
- Failure to assess an at-risk patient properly
- Failure to follow the proper fall prevention protocol for a resident taking blood thinners, anti-seizure medications, and other drugs that can inhibit balance and coordination
- Lack of supervision over residents
- Failure to follow emergency protocols after a fall, including taking the patient to a doctor
Take Legal Action for a Nursing Home Fall
Even the mildest nursing home fall can lead to a potentially fatal brain bleed. Unfortunately, these accidents often happen due to nursing home abuse and neglect.
You could be entitled to financial compensation if you or a loved one suffered a brain injury from a nursing home fall.
Our experienced attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, boast millions recovered for victims of nursing home abuse and dozens of negligent institutions held accountable.
Contact our law firm at (888) 424-5757 for a free legal consultation.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team will remain private under an attorney-client relationship.
Our lawyers handle all accepted cases on a contingency fee basis.
This agreement ensures you don’t have to pay our legal fees unless we win your case.
