A New Jersey Nursing Home Attorney on Dehydration and Malnutrition in Nursing Homes
Elderly residents of nursing homes must depend upon their caregivers for proper nourishment. For a number of reasons, however, malnutrition and dehydration are not uncommon in these facilities. When the cause is due to intent or neglect, abuse exists, for which you may be able to seek compensation. If you feel that a loved one is suffering from dehydration or malnutrition, speak with a New Jersey nursing home lawyer right away.
A New Jersey Nursing Home Attorney Discusses Budgeting and Staffing of Facilities
As a New Jersey nursing home lawyer can attest, nursing facilities are notoriously susceptible to tight budgets. This often leads to understaffing and food that is of a poor quality. Corners are often cut in order to save money. For instance, a facility may receive donated foods from markets, often goods that are nearing expiration.
Your New Jersey nursing home lawyer will tell you that such a lack of funds is no excuse. Nursing facilities have a duty to provide adequate care. This is referred to in personal injury cases as duty of care. When this duty of care is not met, and injury results, grounds for a claim may exist.
A New Jersey Nursing Home Lawyer Explains Causes of Dehydration and Malnutrition Among Residents
As your New Jersey nursing home lawyer will tell you, in order to determine whether a loved one is suffering dehydration or malnutrition due to a failure to provide adequate care, certain other causes need to be ruled out. Elderly individuals often have difficulty with getting proper nutrition and hydration. Among the reasons for this are:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Problems with chewing, often due to poor dental health
- Digestive tract diseases
- Decreased appetite
- Other health issues that can deplete nutrients and water
Your New Jersey nursing home lawyer will explain that the fact that residents of nursing homes are so often in diminishing health is a significant factor in nutrition and hydration problems and can account to some extent for why such facilities tend to have such high numbers of residents who suffer from these maladies. Still, staff needs to take measures to ensure that residents receive supplements and other treatments necessary for good health. Failure to do so is a form of abuse.
Signs to look for that may signal malnutrition or dehydration include drying of the skin, weight loss, lethargy, weariness, headaches, etc. s15
Contact a New Jersey Nursing Home Attorney Today
If you believe that a loved one in a nursing facility is suffering from dehydration or malnutrition, contact a New Jersey nursing home lawyer to discuss the matter. Call Gerald H. Clark to arrange a consultation at 877-841-8855.
