The majority of people in nursing homes are elderly. This means that they are vulnerable to injuries. An injury in an elderly person can be much more serious than in someone in their youth.
One often overlooked injury in nursing homes is burns. How do these happen and are nursing home facilities always liable for them?
Burns from food and drink
Most nursing homes have some form of communal area where residents can have tea, coffee and even food. Some residents will be able to prepare hot food in their rooms. Wherever hot food and drink is prepared, there is a risk of burns.
Nursing homes cannot prevent every single accident, but they do have a duty to try and prevent them. They owe a duty of care to residents and should that duty of care be breached, resulting in burns, then the facility may be liable.
Burns in the bath and shower
Burns can occur in the bath and shower. A resident may not notice how hot they have poured a bath, and burn themselves when they step in. Or, they may not know how to operate the thermostat on the shower.
One way that nursing homes can counter this risk is to set a maximum temperature on the hot water on the facility. There is really no need for the hot water in residents’ rooms to reach scalding temperatures.
Fires, smoking, electrical appliances and radiators are also common burn risks for nursing home residents.
Has your elderly relative suffered burn injuries in a nursing home? Seek legal guidance to try and identify if negligence was a factor.
