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The staff found Mom on the floor next to the sofa in her room at 2 am several nights ago. They called me, left a msg that she had fallen and seemed to be OK. Went to see her the next day. She was looking bad. I took her to the doctor the next day. They found several broken ribs and a bleed into the lungs. Fortunately Mom seems to be doing OK, pain level is managed with over the counter meds but she's moving slow (no wonder).
My question (which the ALF has not answered) is what does the post-fall evaluation look like, who does it, and how did they manage to miss multiple broken ribs. It just seems odd to me that they didn't identify multiple fractures....

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The ALF is afraid you will sue. You should immediately contact the state health department and report a fall resulting in injury and request an investigation.
The fact that they will not share a policy book is most disturbing.
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If I found my mom on floor next at 2 am, I probably wouldn't know to suspect broken ribs, unless she were in extreme pain. I don't know what symptoms bleeding into lungs would present. So I would do the next day doctor visit--the AL wouldn't be expected to do anything more than call you, there is not 24 hour RN'S in an AL (for that you need an NH). so yes you could report a fall to the state but it's already on your mom's record at the AL, and those records are open to the investigators who do periodic spot checks at all the AL's. So I don't know if it would improve care for your mom. Actually I would wonder if it would make it seem very uncomfortable for the workers if you get too demanding, not sure the best way to describe that. Remember that you aren't granted a forever stay at AL, they can choose to not renew your lease. Maybe re-read your lease and especially the Complaint Process. Work with them! And most of all remember, seniors fall, everywhere. And no AL has 24 /7 nursing care available, just aides, anything serious they just call 911 like the rest of us.
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I would think that an unwitnessed fall of an elderly person would result in a 911 call.
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Took time to research my own question. Here's an answer to the question of what an assessment should look like, after a resident has fallen.
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