Across the country, people trust nursing homes to properly care for and look after their loved ones. Unfortunately, many nursing homes do not have enough staff to help with all the patients or sometimes the staff is improperly trained. One of the most overlooked causes of nursing home injuries or negligence is malnutrition and dehydration of the patients. If a patient is not getting the proper nutrition or being properly hydrated, this can lead to dangerous injuries or even death. If someone you care about has been injured or passed away and you believe malnutrition or dehydration was the cause, then you need to speak with a nursing home malnutrition and dehydration lawyer right away. They will hear your claim and work with you to make sure you get the compensation you need for what you have suffered.
Malnutrition means someone is not getting the right amount of nutrients for their body due to a poor or improperly balanced diet. This can happen in a nursing home because of not having enough staff to ensure the residents are getting the proper nutrition or to help those residents that cannot feed themselves. Sometimes the home will not take the time to confirm that the patient is given the correct portion size when eating. Elderly people are also more likely to experience dental problems or a lack of appetite which make eating the right amount of food difficult. Some patients may have trouble swallowing which can make eating or drinking difficult as well. Finally, it is possible that patients may be taking medications with side effects that decrease their appetite. Dehydration in a nursing home means an excessive loss of fluids and excessive weight loss. Dehydration can be caused due to a patient having an illness, being on medicines that make them less likely to get plenty of fluids. Patients may not be able to walk or wheel themselves around in order to get a drink when they may need it. This is why it is so important that nursing homes have enough staff and properly trained staff to check on patients often and make sure they are eating and drinking like they should.
When a nursing home resident is dehydrated or malnourished this can to lead to a weaken immune system, memory problems, bed sores, and other dangerous and even life-threatening infections and medical conditions. Some of the symptoms or signs of malnutrition or dehydration that it is important to know about may include but are not limited to:
If you think that someone you know is experiencing injuries or has passed away because of not getting enough food or not being properly hydrated, then you should first inform the nursing home of your concerns. If this does not work, you can contact state agencies about your concerns. Then you should contact one of our compassionate and knowledgeable malnutrition and dehydration attorneys. We will listen to your claim and help you to get the compensation you need for what you have been through. We will also make sure that the nursing home responsible is held accountable for their abuse and negligence.
Contact us online or call us at 404-354-2363 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.
