Is Your Loved One Not Getting Adequate Food and Water?
Are you concerned that your parent or other loved one has lost weight while living in a nursing home? Is he or she showing other signs of malnutrition or dehydration? Are you concerned about the health impact of these developments?
If so, retaining a lawyer may help you get answers and hold the nursing home accountable. I'm James H. Bell, an attorney with more than 30 years of trial experience. Based in Kansas City, I help clients in Missouri and Kansas pursue compensation for nursing home abuse and neglect.
Don't hesitate to contact me to set up a free initial consultation. You will pay no fees unless I help you recover money damages.
Identifying the Causes of Malnutrition and Dehydration
There are many reasons why nursing home residents may suffer from malnutrition and dehydration. The following are some of the things that can make it difficult for a person in a nursing home to get adequate nutrition and water:
- Swallowing difficulties
- Difficulties picking up food
- Need for dietary supplements like nutrition shakes
- Inability to get nutrition without a feeding tube
Residents may be unable to communicate the problems they are having to nursing home employees or they may be reluctant to reveal how difficult it is for them to get food and water. That is why nursing homes are supposed to be proactive about monitoring these issues.
Understanding the Nursing Home's Legal Responsibilities
Nursing homes are legally required to chart what their patients are consuming, their weight, and the waste they are producing. When they see fluctuations, they are supposed to identify and address the causes of those fluctuations so as to avoid malnutrition and dehydration.
Unfortunately, nursing homes do not always live up to their responsibilities. In some cases, employees who are in a rush may even falsify these charts.
If your loved one has suffered malnutrition or dehydration due to neglect by nursing home staff, contact me to discuss what I can do to hold the nursing home accountable and pursue fair compensation for the harm that has been done.
