Elderly Injuries from Bedrails in Connecticut

Bedrails are commonly used in nursing homes. Bedrails keep residents safe from falling out of their beds. This can prevent injuries. But bedrails can cause harm to residents if they are not used correctly. They should be installed properly and manufactured without error. Knowing about the dangers of bedrails in nursing homes can prevent injuries. If your loved one needs to use a bedrail, here is information that you need.

Bedrail Purposes

Bedrails are used for many reasons. The most common reason is if your loved one moves around in their sleep. Most people do not stay completely still when they sleep. Since most beds in a nursing home are small, your loved one might not be used to this. They might move closer and closer to the edge as they sleep. Sometimes they might even fall out and hurt themselves. They can break a bone easier than a younger person would because their bones are not as strong as they used to be. They could also sustain a head injury if they hit it on something that is in the way of their fall.
The bedrails are used to keep them from falling out of the bed. The bedrails get installed to prevent these types on injuries. Bedrails can be successful in keeping residents in their beds and preventing falls. But, bedrails can cause more complicated injuries if not used correctly.

Bedrail Placement

Bedrails get installed under the mattress. They come up around the side of it, reaching about a foot or two on each side. There is also a small gap between the mattress and the rail itself. There are many stories of residents getting stuck in this gap and getting hurt. They might panic and try to get out and pull an arm or leg out of place while they try to get out of the gap. While this might not seem dangerous, residents can break a limb if they are pulling the wrong way.

Bedrails and Injuries

Another terrible injury that could occur is a head or neck injury. If a loved one gets their head stuck between the mattress and the rail, they could break their neck trying to get out. They could also suffocate if their head is stuck for too long. Since the gap is so small, there might not be much air flowing to your loved one. If they are stuck for an extended period of time, it could be dangerous. This is a serious thing to watch out for if your loved one is using bedrails while in the nursing home.
When your loved one gets to a nursing home, staff members should know their sleeping patterns. Staff members should be available in the event that an issue occurs. A button for help should be placed close to a resident’s bed. If they have an issue with a bedrail, help can easily be reached.
Bedrails can also be manufactured incorrectly. These errors could hurt your loved one if they need to use a bedrail. It is a requirement for all bedrails to go through safety checks before being sold. If these checks are rushed, an error in the manufacturing can get overlooked. This means a faulty bedrail could get sent out anyway.

Staff and Bedrails

Nursing home staff members should check every bedrail that they receive. This should happen before allowing a loved one to use it. Staff members should check bedrails before and after installation. If they overlook an error with the rail, your loved one can be injured because of a preventable mistake. If this happens, the nursing home may be held liable.
The use of bedrails can be helpful but also dangerous. Many think that bedrails are there to help your loved one. But, they often forget the harm that can come if the rails are not used correctly. There should never be an error with something that is so simple. The use of a bedrail should not cause an injury; instead, it should prevent an injury to your loved one. Make sure that staff members have properly checked and installed bedrails. Also make sure that someone is available to assist your parent at night if there is a problem. This can prevent any injuries caused by bedrails.