Many falls are explained after the fact, but the evidence in Slidell cases often points to missed steps earlier in the shift or week—things that matter when staff rotation, shift handoffs, and resident mobility needs are under pressure.
Common examples we review include:
- Residents who repeatedly needed assistance with walking, transfers, or toileting but were left unassisted or assisted inconsistently.
- Care plans that didn’t match the resident’s changing condition (for example, increased dizziness, weakness, or confusion).
- Alarms, call buttons, or fall prevention procedures that weren’t used, weren’t used consistently, or weren’t followed after an alert.
- Bathroom and hallway safety issues—slippery flooring, poor lighting, cluttered walkways, missing/loose assistive equipment.
In Louisiana, nursing homes are expected to meet a standard of reasonable care. When the facility’s own documentation shows a resident’s fall risk was known, the “we couldn’t have prevented it” argument becomes harder to support.


