In California, evidence preservation matters. Facilities may have internal retention rules for surveillance, logs, and staffing documentation.
Right after the fall:
- Confirm medical treatment and follow-up. Get the discharge instructions and keep all paperwork.
- Request the incident report and fall-related documents (in writing). Ask for the fall report, post-fall assessment, and the most recent care plan.
- Ask whether video exists (and request preservation). If your family is told “it’s routine,” still ask that it be kept.
- Write down a timeline while it’s fresh: what time the resident was last seen stable, what staff were involved, where the resident was found, and what conditions were present (lighting, bathroom floor, transfer equipment, alarms).
If you’re facing pressure to sign forms quickly, pause and speak with a lawyer first—some documents can affect how you later request records or pursue a claim.


