Dehydration, Malnourishment, and Nursing Home Abuse

    PHOENIX, AZ, February 02, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you want nursing home staff to care for him or her as a family member. Unfortunately, nursing home abuse and neglect are all too common in today's society. It is a sad reality that many nursing homes today are insufficiently staffed, with employees who are overworked and under-trained. The result can be a painful and unfair living environment for residents, who are deprived of life's basic needs.

Although the most obvious forms of abuse are physical, the most devastating can be the ones you may not normally consider. The two most common forms of nursing home abuse are dehydration and malnourishment. Thousands of nursing home residents across the nation die each year as a result of these two forms of nursing home negligence.

Nursing Home Dehydration

Dehydration is caused by a lack or loss of adequate body fluids. Because many nursing home residents are not able to physically obtain their own beverages, it is crucial that the nursing home staff offers sufficient liquids. If this does not happen, or if residents are unable to properly voice their concerns if they feel dehydrated, the results can be devastating.

Some of the signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

- Thirst
- Dry mouth
- Skin flushing (markedly red in the face)
- Dark-colored urine
- Appetite loss
- Dry skin
- Fatigue or weakness
- Chills
- Dizziness, faintness or light headedness
- More serious symptoms include vomiting, difficulty breathing and seizures (all which require emergency help)

Elderly nursing home residents who do not receive sufficient fluids are more susceptible to medical conditions including:

- Urinary tract infections
- Pneumonia
- Decubitus ulcers (bed sores)
- Confusion
- Disorientation
- Life-threatening electrolyte imbalances

Nursing homes have a responsibility to provide adequate hydration to their residents, and to provide the proper training to their employees to recognize the signs and symptoms of dehydration. Dehydration can be easily avoided and should be managed through an individualized daily plan to promote adequate hydration.

Nursing Home Malnutrition

The second leading form of neglect among nursing home residents is malnutrition. This condition is a result of eating an unbalanced diet that lacks essential nutrients or simply not getting enough food into your system. Among the elderly, malnutrition is most likely to occur because of dental issues that make eating difficult or painful.

Elderly residents who suffer from dementia may not realize that they need to eat and are not concerned with food at all. The inability for nursing home residents to feed themselves may also result in malnutrition.

The most common signs of malnutrition are:

- Weight loss
- Fragile bones, muscle loss or general weakness
- Bloated abdomen
- Fatigue and/or dizziness
- Mental decline
- Decreased organ function
- Swollen and/or bleeding gums, tooth decay
- Dry skin

If you have a loved one in a nursing home in Arizona and you suspect malnutrition or dehydration due to negligence, please visit the website of the experienced Phoenix nursing home abuse attorneys Cullan & Cullan, M.D., J.D. at www.stopnursinghomeabuse.com.

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