Dehydration—when someone does not have sufficient fluids for bodily functions—is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that may be a sign of nursing home abuse or neglect.
The Mayo Clinic recommends immediate replenishment of fluids and electrolytes. Once your loved one has received medical care, please call the office of a Columbus dehydration lawyer. If your loved one has injuries resulting from dehydration, they could recover damages for pain and suffering, medical care, and other losses.
Nursing home abuse and neglect is a crime. It is important that you understand your legal rights and how you can hold a negligent nursing home or caregiver responsible for your economic and emotional damages.
Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336 for a free consultation with a team member.
Why Dehydration Can Be a Sign of Nursing Home Abuse
Everyone needs plenty of clean, fresh water to stay alive and healthy. Nursing home residents often need additional hydration because of medication that causes dry mouth, frequent urination, or medical conditions that require extra fluids.
However, some nursing home residents may not have the physical or cognitive abilities to obtain or request additional fluids. If a nursing home fails to provide adequate care or supervision, leading to dehydration, they can be held liable for abuse or neglect.
Examples of Nursing Home Negligence Contributing to Dehydration
Some situations in which hydration is the result of nursing home abuse or neglect include:
- Failure to provide clean drinking water and other fluids regularly and particularly with meals and medication
- Failure to supervise residents to ensure that they consume enough water or fluids
- Failure to respond to a resident’s call
- Failure to provide clean drinking water overnight if resident awakens and is thirsty
- Failure to monitor urine output and other signs that might indicate dehydration
Nursing homes have a duty to provide care at accepted professional standards. If your loved one suffered because of dehydration, you might consider hiring a Columbus dehydration lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Call a team member today to learn more.
How a Dehydration Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer May Help
If your spouse or parent suffered from dehydration, you should be aware of other incidents of possible nursing home abuse or neglect. In our experience as nursing home abuse lawyers, these events typically occur regularly, but family members may not notice.
Your loved one may be too afraid to speak out or may not be able to say anything. Concerned and loving family members initiate most of our nursing home cases.
An attorney with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can provide:
- Confidential legal counsel
- A thorough analysis of your loved one’s injuries and damages
- Help for preparing a complaint to the proper authorities
- Legal representation and protection of your rights
You and your loved one have already suffered. You should not have to pay financially for a nursing home’s negligent act.
For a free legal consultation with a Dehydration Lawyer serving Columbus, call (800) 794-0444
Conditions that Cause Dehydration
Nursing home residents typically have medical conditions that make regular hydration even more vital.
Dehydration happens for several reasons, including:
- Medications such as blood pressure medicine or diuretics that increase urination.
- Diarrhea and vomiting, creating an immediate loss of water and electrolytes.
- Fever, leading to dehydration, and the higher your fever, the more fluids you lose.
- Excessive perspiration from exercise, hot and humid weather, or an overly warm room.
According to Mayo Clinic, our fluid reserves decrease as we age. Older adults also have a diminished sense of thirst and can miss the clues of approaching dehydration, such as increased thirst, dizziness, or confusion. That is why nursing home residents must live in a safe, stable environment that includes proper hydration.
Columbus Dehydration Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Complications of Dehydration in Older Adults
Dehydration is not only about insufficient fluid intake, but it also leads to lower levels of sodium and potassium, two minerals that our bodies need to function properly.
Older adults are highly susceptible to complications from dehydration, including:
- Rapidly falling blood pressure, particularly in diabetics
- Heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)
- Seizures and convulsions
- Hypovolemic shock, or low blood volume
- Urinary infections
- Kidney stones
- Kidney failure
Dehydration is more than being thirsty—it is a potentially life-threatening condition. Any nursing home that ignores or allows its residents to suffer the physical and emotional harm of dehydration should be held accountable.
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We Obtain Evidence to Show Liability
Your loved one did not lose their rights when moving into a nursing home. The nursing home owes residents certain obligations, like a safe, clean living environment that includes proper nutrition and hydration.
A dehydration lawyer with Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can obtain evidence to prove liability and wrongdoing that might include:
- Nursing home records and charts
- Witness statements
- Expert testimony on dehydration complications and expected prognosis
We can help you and your loved one recover damages for injuries caused by negligence. This action may also force the nursing home to improve its standard of care.
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We May Recover Damages
Your loved one may have needed emergency care to restore fluid and electrolyte levels, as well as corrective action for any health conditions that occurred because of dehydration.
Our legal team will consider all damages to seek compensation for such losses as:
- Ambulance and emergency room care
- Hospitalization
- Pain and suffering
- Relocation and moving expenses
You pay nothing upfront or out of pocket. Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis and get paid from a portion of what we recover.
Hire a Dehydration Lawyer Today
If your spouse or parent suffered an injury due to dehydration, a Columbus dehydration lawyer might be able to pursue damages from a negligent nursing home. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today for a free consultation at (800) 842-6336.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
