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Elder Choking Injuries in Philadelphia Nursing Homes
Many choking incidents that occur in Philadelphia nursing homes are preventable when facilities follow proper supervision and dietary precautions. When nursing homes fail to do so, residents can suffer severe injury or death.
Why Nursing Home Residents Face Increased Choking Risk
Choking occurs when food, liquid, or medication blocks the airway and restricts breathing. Elderly residents face a higher risk due to physical and neurological conditions that impair their ability to chew or swallow safely. These risks require active management and close supervision.
Common risk factors include neurological disorders such as dementia or stroke, muscle weakness, poor dentition or missing teeth, dry mouth, and the use of sedating medications. Residents with swallowing disorders, known as dysphagia, require modified diets and monitored feeding.
How Choking Injuries Occur in Nursing Homes
Choking incidents in nursing homes frequently result from routine care failures. Staff may rush meals, ignore dietary restrictions, or leave high-risk residents unattended. Common causes include:
- Failure to follow prescribed soft or thickened diets.
- Serving food that is too large, dry, or difficult to chew.
- Leaving residents unsupervised during meals.
- Inadequate staff assistance with feeding.
- Poor positioning of residents while eating.
- Improper medication administration, including large pills.
- Lack of communication about swallowing risks.
These failures often stem from understaffing, poor training, or lack of oversight.
Injuries and Complications Caused by Choking
Choking can cause immediate and catastrophic harm. Even when staff intervene quickly, residents may suffer lasting consequences. Possible outcomes include oxygen deprivation, brain injury, aspiration pneumonia, cardiac arrest, and death. Some residents survive the initial choking event but experience rapid decline due to infection or neurological damage.
How Nursing Homes Should Prevent Choking Injuries
Nursing homes should take a proactive approach to choking prevention, especially for high-risk residents. Prevention requires swallowing assessments, individualized diet plans, trained staff assistance during meals, correct resident positioning, and ongoing monitoring.
Staff should communicate swallowing risks across shifts and respond quickly when residents show difficulty eating. Facilities must also ensure adequate staffing during mealtimes so residents are not rushed or left unattended, and they must adjust care plans promptly when a resident’s condition changes
How a Philadelphia Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Can Help After a Choking Injury
A Philadelphia Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer will determine whether the facility failed to protect the resident by:
- Analyzing care plans and dietary orders to confirm what safety measures staff were required to follow.
- Obtaining and reviewing medical, feeding, and incident records to reconstruct how the choking occurred.
- Consulting medical and swallowing experts to explain why the injury was preventable.
- Examining records of staffing and supervision during mealtimes to identify unsafe practices.
- Challenging facility claims that the incident was unavoidable or caused solely by medical conditions.
A lawyer helps families understand what went wrong and protects their rights. Through negotiation or litigation, your attorney will fight to hold the nursing home fully accountable and handle all legal aspects on your behalf.
Contact Rosenbaum Injury Law Today
If your loved one suffered a choking injury in a Philadelphia nursing home, contact Rosenbaum & Associates for guidance. Call (215) 569-0200 or message online today for a free consultation.