Nursing Home Suicides

The likely cause of most nursing home suicides is the same as that which could be expected in the general population: undiagnosed or untreated depression.

While nursing home suicides are rare compared to the suicide rate in a non-nursing home setting, they do occur with alarming frequency.

Most nursing homes do not educate or train their facility employees to recognize or evaluate a resident's intent to harm himself. Most nursing homes do not even have policies or procedures to guide its employees in these types of situations, despite the fact that the mere possibility of nursing home placement ranks high on the list of reasons of why elderly suicides are on the rise.

How can a nursing home be liable for a resident who commits suicide?

• Failing to adequately assess the mental health of the resident upon admission.
• Failing to monitor a resident who is on anti-depressants or psychotropic medications when there is a substantial increased risk of suicidal ideations associated with many of these medications.
• Failing to advise the resident's treating physician of a substantial change in the resident's mental health.

Our office filed suit on behalf of the Estate of a nursing home resident several years ago after the resident had committed suicide at the facility. The resident had voluntarily admitted himself to the local VA Hospital for suicidal thoughts. The resident had received intensive therapy at the VA Hospital and was discharged with medications to the nursing home where he was to receive additional therapy and eventually return to his wife and their home. Shortly after admission to the nursing home, the resident began to make repeated references to taking his own life. He was worried that he would not be able to pay for his stay at the facility and anxious about returning to his home. The nursing home Administrator, Director of Nurses, and the Social Services Director held an emergency "care plan" conference to discuss the resident's situation. It was decided that the resident would be placed on 15-minute suicide checks and that if his condition worsened, his doctor would be notified. Unfortunately, the nursing home did not implement the plan that they had discussed. The suicide checks were never performed and the resident's doctor was never notified. The resident straightened his room, wrote detailed notes regarding his last wishes, and hung himself in the closet of his room with his belt. He was not found until hours later.

The information provided on this site relative to suicides in a nursing home setting is meant as a brief overview. Specific Federal and State laws and regulations apply and each case is unique and fact-intensive.