Certain types of nursing home abuse are easy to spot, but there are others that are not always as obvious. One of these types is malnutrition. When a nursing home accepts a patient, they take on many obligations, and one of these is to make sure the patient receives an adequate amount and supply of food and nutrition. If they fail to do this, it could severely harm the health of a patient. Here are three things you should know about this if you have a loved one living in a nursing home.
Malnutrition Is A Form Of Neglect
Nursing home neglect is way more common than it should be, and it can occur in many different ways. Failing to provide nourishment to patients is one way, and this is considered nursing home neglect. This type of neglect is not always intentional; however, there are steps a nursing home can take to prevent this from happening.
Steps Nursing Homes Can Take
Most nursing homes record the amount of food each patient consumes each day as part of the standard daily routine, and this is something that should be monitored by the nurses or management of the facility. If a patient is barely eating, the staff should look into this to find out what is going on. There are several reasons patients stop eating, but each one can lead to malnutrition. Here are some of the reasons:
- The patient is incapable of feeding him or herself due to health conditions or emotional problems.
- The facility is understaffed, which leaves patients fending for themselves even when they truly require assistance.
- The patient should be on a liquid or soft diet due to health problems or a lack of teeth.
- The patient has extreme health problems and should be on feeding tubes.
If the nursing home does not take the right steps, the health of some of the patients may begin failing.
Signs To Look For
If you are concerned about this, you should be aware of common signs that can indicate malnutrition is occurring with your loved one. Some of these signs are:
- Loss of weight
- Dehydration
- Weakness
- Problems with healing
This problem can cause your loved one pain and other health problems if left untreated. If you suspect that this is happening with your loved one at a nursing home, you should contact a nursing home abuse attorney to find out what you can do about it.
