It is a sad reality that many nursing homes fail to provide adequate food and water to their residents. This is especially the case for nursing home patients who have limited mobility, swallowing problems, or need extra encouragement, time or assistance in order to eat. This can even happen when a resident receives nutrients and fluid through a feeding tube.
Many nursing homes do not employ enough staff to give all their residents attentive care, but they are nevertheless legally obligated to regularly assess their residents’ nutritional needs and ensure that residents receive the food, water, and vitamins they require. When nursing homes fail to ensure adequate nutrition, they make patients more prone to health complications. Malnutrition and dehydration can weaken the immune system, decrease muscle mass, lead to weight loss, skin breakdown and pressure ulcers, and increase the risk of infection.
If a nursing home resident is malnourished or dehydrated, they may be a victim of nursing home abuse. A nursing home abuse lawyer can help you recover damages from the nursing home and hold it accountable for their neglectful practices.
If you suspect your loved one is suffering from a lack of nutrition at their nursing home, you should contact Pleasant Law, PLLC today. Pleasant Law, PLLC has vast experience focusing on nursing home abuse and negligence cases in North Carolina for approximately 15 years, and serves clients in Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Attorney Thomas Pleasant is familiar with nursing homes’ usual tactics to try and prevent residents and their families from recovering damages related to malnutrition and/or dehydration. Pleasant Law, PLLC can help you and your loved ones with skilled representation in and out of the courtroom help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Signs of dehydration and malnutrition include but are not limited to:
Although a lack of nutrition can lead to visible weight loss, it is not always so easy to spot. Some nursing home patients may also suffer from conditions that make it hard to communicate their nutritional needs. It is important to be aware of the signs of malnutrition and dehydration, so you can notify the nursing home’s management and seek medical care if necessary.
In addition to these signs, malnutrition and dehydration can also cause other harmful health conditions. One common health issue among neglected nursing home residents is bedsores. Bedsores are ulcers that arise due to patients remaining in one position for too long.
If a patient is malnourished, they may not have enough fatty tissue and muscle mass to protect certain vulnerable areas of their body. Malnourished or dehydrated residents can also have compromised immune systems, making them susceptible to life-threatening infections, illnesses, and organ failure.
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