When elderly or ill residents are placed in nursing homes, their families trust these facilities to provide a safe and nurturing environment. However, issues like dehydration and malnutrition can threaten the health and dignity of nursing home residents, sometimes resulting in negligence claims. This blog will explore the causes of these issues, signs to watch for, and common allegations made in nursing home litigation.
Dehydration in Nursing Home Residents
Dehydration poses a serious risk to elderly and ill individuals, as their bodies are more vulnerable due to age and underlying medical conditions. Several factors can contribute to dehydration among nursing home residents:
- Medical Conditions: Infectious processes in the body or illnesses that cause nausea, diarrhea, or difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) can impair fluid intake.
- Medication Use: Diuretics prescribed for conditions like congestive heart failure or pulmonary edema can lead to fluid loss if not managed properly.
- Physical Limitations: Mobility impairments, incontinence, and cognitive decline can make it harder for residents to access or remember to drink water.
Claims Related to Dehydration in Nursing Homes
Families of dehydrated residents often raise serious claims of negligence, including:
- Inaccessibility of Water: Cases arise when facilities fail to make water readily available or place it out of reach for residents with limited mobility—for instance, across the room or with a straw positioned in an unusable way. This lack of accessibility directly impacts a resident’s ability to stay hydrated.
- Failure to Encourage Hydration: Nursing home staff are required to actively encourage hydration, particularly when residents refuse or forget to drink water. A failure to do so demonstrates a disregard for the resident’s basic needs and contributes to preventable dehydration.
- Unpalatable Options for Dysphagia: Residents with dysphagia require liquids thickened with agents that sometimes make drinking unpleasant, leading to a lack of sufficient hydration. When nursing homes fail to provide alternatives or make such fluids palatable, it can reasonably be viewed as neglect.
Dehydration is entirely preventable with proper monitoring, attentive staff, and adequate care protocols. Failure to address this issue can result in serious health consequences, including urinary tract infections, kidney failure, or even death.
Malnutrition in Nursing Home Residents
Just like dehydration, malnutrition is a real and dangerous issue for nursing home residents. Elderly and ill individuals tend to have reduced appetites and may face difficulty chewing, swallowing, or digesting food. Despite their diminished appetite, these residents often require more protein and calories to support the healing process and overall health.
Residents who cannot consume solid food by mouth are particularly prone to malnutrition. For these individuals, nutrition may be administered through pureed foods or feeding tubes, including nasogastric tubes (NG tubes), gastrostomy tubes (G-tubes), or jejunostomy tubes (J-tubes). Proper management of these feeding methods and precise calculation of nutritional values are critical.
Claims Related to Malnutrition in Nursing Homes
Common claims regarding malnutrition in nursing home settings include:
- Neglect During Mealtime: Staff fail to assist residents who are unable to feed themselves or neglect to cut food into manageable portions, resulting in inadequate nutrition.
- Unpalatable Meals: Residents refuse food that is difficult to chew, swallow, or unappetizing, and the facility fails to provide appealing or suitable alternatives, leading to malnutrition.
- Rushed Mealtimes: Residents who eat slowly often have their trays taken away before finishing their meals because staff prioritize clean-up over patient care.
- Failure to Address Food Refusals: Facilities fail to properly encourage residents who refuse food to eat or neglect to offer alternative options, compromising their nutritional intake.
Malnutrition in nursing homes can cause severe health issues, including significant weight loss, weakened immunity, pressure ulcers, and prolonged recovery times from illnesses or injuries. In extreme cases, malnutrition can be life-threatening.
Preventing Dehydration and Malnutrition in Nursing Homes
Proper care and nutrition are fundamental to the well-being of nursing home residents. Families and loved ones should be vigilant about signs of dehydration or malnutrition, such as dry skin, confusion, weight loss, weakness, or unusual eating or drinking behaviors. Advocating for residents and ensuring nursing home staff follow best practices can prevent many of these issues from occurring.
Conclusion: Accountability in Nursing Home Care
When a nursing home fails to provide adequate hydration and nutrition for its residents, legal action may be necessary to hold the facility accountable and prevent future harm. If you suspect a loved one is suffering due to dehydration, malnutrition, or other forms of neglect, consulting with a qualified nursing home litigation attorney can help you navigate the path forward.
By raising awareness of these issues and enforcing accountability, together we can ensure nursing homes fulfill their duty to care for some of the most vulnerable members of our society.