Denver Attorneys Handling Cases of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse
Malnutrition is among the most common ailments that residents suffer under nursing home care. In most cases, it is also among the easiest ailments to avoid, and nursing home staff owe a legal duty to ensure that residents receive the nutrients they need to live safe and healthy lives.
If you or a loved one lives in a Denver-area nursing home, unfortunately, you need to be aware of the risk factors and symptoms of malnutrition. If a nursing home lacks adequately trained and compassionate caregivers, residents can begin to experience the effects of malnutrition within their first days or weeks of residency. However, residents can also suffer from malnutrition after years of living in a nursing home, and those who are concerned about malnutrition after long-term residency should seek professional help as soon as possible.
We provide full-service legal representation for nursing home residents and their families. If you are concerned about malnutrition or dehydration, we can help you obtain the medical diagnosis and treatment you or your loved one needs. We can also help you find a more-suitable nursing home, and we can help you recover financial compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses.
Risk Factors for Malnutrition in Nursing Homes
The risk factors for malnutrition in nursing homes relate to patients’ physical and mental conditions as well as the quality of care provided by nursing home staff. For example, each of the following can increase a resident’s risk of experiencing malnutrition:
- Chronic illnesses and use of certain prescription medications
- Suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia
- Being unable to feed oneself, and being reliant on nursing home staff for all meals
- Insufficient staffing at the nursing home, resulting in nurses having responsibility for too many residents’ needs
- Employment of nurses and caregivers who are not knowledgeable about nutrition and the risks of malnutrition
Symptoms of Malnutrition
Elderly nursing home residents who are not receiving adequate nutrition can begin to experience symptoms within as little as a few days. These symptoms can worsen over time, and malnutrition can have a variety of potentially-dangerous complications as well. Some of the early warning signs of malnutrition include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Dry skin
- Feeling cold
- Feeling tired and persistently fatigued
- Irritability
- Loss of body fat
- Slowed recovery from illnesses and infections
As these symptoms progress and a resident’s lack of adequate nutrition continues, malnutrition can lead to complications including:
- Depression
- Heart, liver and respiratory failure
- Higher risk of complications during surgery
- Higher risk of hypothermia
- Muscle weakness (which can lead to falls and other accidents)
- Unresponsiveness
- Weakened immune system
Speak With a Denver Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer for Free
For more information about how we can help if you or a loved one is suffering from malnutrition in a Denver nursing home, please feel free to schedule an initial consultation. To speak with one of our experienced attorneys in confidence, call 303-333-8000 or tell us how we can help online now.