A fall in a nursing home can appear minor at first. Your loved one may seem alert and calm right after. But injuries like subdural hematomas develop slowly beneath the surface. By the time symptoms emerge, the injury may have already caused irreversible harm. That is why California nursing homes have a legal duty to perform neurological checks after any resident falls
The silent risks behind a simple fall
What makes these falls so dangerous is the time between the incident and the first symptoms. Elderly residents on blood thinners usually face a serious risk of slow intracranial bleeding. Blood thinners prevent normal clotting, so even a minor bump to the head can trigger internal bleeding. This bleeding accumulates pressure inside the skull over hours or days. Without timely checks, staff may overlook critical warning signs before serious damage occurs.
What a proper neuro check includes
Because that window is so critical, knowing what proper post-fall care looks like can prove consequential. A thorough neurological check should happen right after a fall and cover these key areas:
- Pupillary response: Staff check if pupils are equal in size and react to light normally. Sluggish or unequal pupils can indicate increased intracranial pressure.
- Extremity strength and movement: Staff ask your loved one to grip their hands, lift their arms and raise their legs to check for any weakness on either side of the body.
- Orientation: Staff ask simple questions about name, location and what happened to detect sudden changes in awareness.
- Level of consciousness: Using the Glasgow Coma Scale, staff assess whether your loved one is fully alert, unusually drowsy, or difficult to wake up.
Every facility has a duty to perform and document these checks. When staff skip them, that failure leaves a paper trail.
Records that can show the facility failed
That paper trail is where accountability begins. Post-fall monitoring charts, shift logs and staffing records from the time of the incident all serve as key evidence. A medical examiner’s report can also confirm whether a brain hemorrhage caused your loved one’s decline. Incomplete or missing records often indicate that the facility failed to uphold proper care standards.
How you can protect your loved one
Once you understand what those records should contain, you can start asking the right questions. If your loved one fell in a California nursing home, start by requesting copies of all post-fall documentation. Look for monitoring charts, shift logs and any notes staff recorded in the hours after the fall. Pay attention to any gaps or missing entries. Your loved one has a right to proper care.Thus, knowing what to look for is often the first step toward making sure they receive it.