Nursing Facility Fall Leads to Death of Escaping Resident

According to an article in the Chicago Sun Times that our Maryland nursing home injury attorneys have been following, a recent nursing home fall caused the death of a resident—who tied sheets together and used them as a rope to try and lower himself out of the window and escape.

Ramon Crisantos, a 57-year old resident living in the Woodbridge Nursing Pavilion, reportedly woke up early in the morning, and was observed by a nurse to be doing his normal routine, so she continued her daily duties at the home. Crisantos was later discovered lying on the ground outside the home near a makeshift rope made out of bed sheets that had been tied together. It appeared Crisantos was trying to escape and lower himself out of a window to the ground 10-12 feet below.

Crisantos was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, five hours after being found, from sustaining multiple injuries from the nursing home fall. It reportedly wasn’t clear why Crisantos was trying to sneak out of the nursing facility, as Woodbridge’s website claims that residents are allowed to leave the facility. His death was ruled an accident.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that each year an average nursing home with 100 beds reports 100 to 200 nursing home falls, with about 1,800 older adults living in nursing homes dying from fall-related injuries. The CDC reports that finding ways to prevent fall-related injuries with elderly residents in nursing homes and hospitals is extremely important in preventing future injuries.

In Maryland or the Washington D.C. area, contact Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today.

Nursing home resident falls from window, dies in ‘escape’ attempt, Chicago Sun Times, April 22, 2011
Man falls to death in climb out of nursing home, Chicago Tribune, April 21, 2011

Related Web Resources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC)

Related Blog Posts:

Reducing Nursing Home and Hospital Falls to Prevent Patient Injury, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, December 7, 2010
ManorCare Sued by Injured Woman for Nursing Home Fall, Maryland Nursing Home Lawyer Blog, November 25, 2010

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