New Jersey Nursing Home Lawyers
Nursing home patients require extra care to ensure that they receive two of our most basic human needs – nutrition and hydration. While the risk of dehydration and malnutrition for immobile patients is obvious, what many people may not realize is how high that risk is for nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Malnutrition and dehydration can result in a rapid decline in health and death. If your loved one has been the victims of nursing home neglect, our New Jersey nursing home lawyers can help.
Signs of Malnutrition and Dehydration in a Nursing Home
Sometimes loved ones do not recognize malnutrition or dehydration because they believe that the signs and symptoms they are witnessing are just a normal part of aging. If dehydration and malnutrition are not spotted and dealt with right away, the damage can be permanent or fatal.
Signs of malnutrition include:
- Weight loss
- Clothes becoming too large
- Thinning hair
- Slow wound healing
- Weakness
- Frequent falls
- Sunken eyes
- Kidney failure
- Poorly fitting dentures
- Skin breakdown
- Frequent infections
- Bedsores
- Pale skin
- Pale lips and mouth
- Failure to thrive and death
Signs of dehydration include:
- Rapid decline in cognitive function
- Weakness
- Chills
- Sunken eyes
- Ashen skin
- Cracked lips
- Dark colored urine
- Urinary tract infections
Causes of Dehydration and Malnutrition in Nursing Homes
In general, nursing home patients are not capable of tending to their own needs; that is why they are in the nursing home. Those who are not physically capable of eating and drinking on their own must be very closely monitored for proper hydration and nutrition. Patients who can drink on their own, but have limited mobility, should always have water within their reach.
Nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia require time and patience during meals. Loss of appetite and distraction can lead to dehydration and malnutrition in patients who are not physically incapacitated. Some medications can lead to dehydration or malnutrition.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of nursing home neglect or abuse in New Jersey, please call our New Jersey nursing home lawyers today or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation with our nursing home lawyers is free, and if we agree to represent you, we will work for a contingent fee, which means we won’t get paid for our services unless you receive a settlement or an award. In New Jersey, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed before the expiration of the statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.