Dehydration and Malnutrition in Nursing Homes
When a family places a loved one in a nursing home, it expects the facility to provide basic necessities: food, water, medication, supervision, and appropriate medical attention.
Unfortunately, dehydration and malnutrition can become serious problems for elderly and vulnerable nursing-home residents.
Sometimes these conditions develop because of an underlying medical problem. Other times, they may be warning signs that a resident is not receiving adequate care.
Why Are Nursing Home Residents at Risk?
Older adults may be particularly vulnerable to dehydration and malnutrition because they can have difficulty recognizing hunger or thirst, communicating their needs, feeding themselves, or physically obtaining food and water.
Residents may also suffer from:
- Dementia or Alzheimer's disease
- Difficulty swallowing
- Mobility limitations
- Dental problems
- Depression
- Medication side effects
- Chronic illnesses
- Cognitive impairment
These conditions don't eliminate a nursing home's responsibility to provide appropriate care. In many situations, they make careful monitoring even more important.
Warning Signs of Dehydration
Possible signs of dehydration can include:
- Dry mouth or lips
- Unusual fatigue
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Reduced urination
- Dark urine
- Weakness
- Low blood pressure
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sudden changes in behavior
Severe dehydration can become a medical emergency.
Families who notice a significant change in a resident's condition should seek appropriate medical attention rather than assuming the change is simply part of aging.
Warning Signs of Malnutrition
Unexplained weight loss deserves attention.
Other possible warning signs include:
- Loose-fitting clothing
- Weakness
- Loss of muscle mass
- Poor wound healing
- Frequent infections
- Changes in skin condition
- Lack of energy
- Reduced appetite
Families should ask questions when a loved one's physical condition changes significantly.
How Neglect Can Contribute
Nursing-home residents may need assistance eating or drinking.
Problems can arise when facilities are understaffed or employees fail to:
- Deliver meals
- Assist residents with eating
- Provide adequate fluids
- Follow dietary instructions
- Monitor weight loss
- Document food and fluid intake
- Notify physicians of significant changes
- Follow swallowing precautions
A resident who physically cannot feed himself may suffer serious consequences when employees don't provide the necessary assistance.
What Should Families Do?
Document what you see.
Take appropriate photographs, write down dates and observations, ask questions, and keep copies of relevant communications.
If your loved one has experienced significant weight loss or dehydration, ask what the facility has done to identify and address the problem.
Medical records may later help determine when the condition developed, what staff observed, and what interventions were attempted.
When Dehydration or Malnutrition May Become a Legal Issue
Not every case of weight loss or dehydration means a nursing home committed negligence.
The important question is why it happened and whether reasonable care could have prevented it.
A nursing-home neglect investigation may examine staffing records, care plans, dietary records, physician orders, nursing notes, weight records, intake documentation, and other evidence.
Talk With a Pennsylvania Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer
If your loved one suffered serious injuries associated with dehydration, malnutrition, or suspected nursing-home neglect, consider having the circumstances investigated.
Frank Walker Law represents injured people and families in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania.
Contact Frank Walker Law to discuss a potential nursing-home neglect claim.
If you have friends or relatives with loved ones living in nursing homes, like and share this article with your network. Recognizing the warning signs early could help someone protect a parent or grandparent.
About Frank Walker Law
Attorney Frank Walker of Frank Walker Law is a National Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyer, and Personal Injury Attorney who has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, a member of the National College for DUI Defense, Best Attorneys in America, Best Law firms of America, America’s Greatest Attorneys, and a Top AVVO Rated attorney, with offices in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and Morgantown West Virginia.
Additionally, you can find Attorney Walker on YouTube, TikTok, the Pittsburgh Attorney Podcast and the West Virginia Attorney Podcast, where he gives legal tips (not advice!) and discusses the pressing legal issues of the day.
If you or someone you love are facing criminal charges or are seriously injured in an accident, contact Attorney Frank Walker immediately at 412-532-6805 (Pittsburgh), 304-413-0179 (Morgantown), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for aggressive and experienced Criminal Defense or Representation in a Civil Case.