You may have a reason for concern when your loved one in a nursing home suffers from sudden weight loss or hair loss. You may wonder whether they are receiving adequate nutrition, especially if you noticed that their clothes fit them loosely and they shed or lose more hair than usual. Some medical conditions can cause some weight loss, such as thyroid conditions and bowel diseases. Some weight and hair loss can also qualify as a natural part of aging and genetics.
At first, families may dismiss rapid weight and hair loss in the elderly, particularly in nursing homes, as a normal sign of old age and declining health. Malnutrition, however, also causes unexplained weight loss and hair loss. Lack of adequate nutrition can signal elder abuse and neglect in the nursing home. Your relative may suffer from malnourishment or diseases such as gastroenteritis and diarrhea, which nursing home staff may neglect to address, causing rapid weight loss.
When your loved one suffers from weight loss and general weakness due to a lack of adequate nutrition, they can become more susceptible to other illnesses and diseases, leading to a multitude of other health problems, including potentially an untimely death. Act promptly if you spot signs of rapid weight loss or hair loss on your loved one in order to prevent them from deteriorating any further. If you think the nursing home administration or staff is to blame, you might want to consider your legal options and file a personal injury lawsuit with the assistance of a Forest View rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer.
We can discuss your legal options with you and determine whether you have a case. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm for a complimentary evaluation.
Malnutrition in Nursing Homes
Malnutrition and lack of adequate nutrition represent a portion of cases concerning neglect and abuse in nursing homes. Elderly persons in nursing homes generally need assistance with their basic needs, particularly eating and drinking. When an elderly person does not receive a sufficient amount of nutrition, as well as good quality nutrients, they may lack several vitamins and minerals needed to maintain a healthy weight and bodily functions. They may also suffer from other outward signs of nutritional deficiency, such as hair loss.
Nursing Home Responsibility
Federal law requires nursing homes to ensure adequate nutrition for their residents. The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, or 42 U.S. Code § 1395i–3, clearly spells out the responsibility of nursing homes when it comes to meeting their residents’ nutritional needs, among others. According to the act, the nursing home must ensure that “meals meet the daily nutritional and special dietary needs of each resident.”
The Nursing Home Reform Act also states that a nursing home has to ensure an adequate number of staff members are available and that the nursing home must only employ qualified and trained staff in order to make sure that residents have their daily needs met.
If your relative shows signs of malnutrition, such as weight loss and hair loss not caused by a medical condition, the nursing home may bear liability for neglect and abuse. Neglect may occur due to an insufficient number of staff members at a facility, as the home may lack enough aides and nurses to supervise all residents. Nursing homes should always have an adequate number of staff members available to help residents with meals and to monitor their food and liquid intake in order to prevent malnutrition and dehydration.
For a free legal consultation with a Rapid Weight Loss or Hair Loss Lawyer serving Forest View, call (800) 842-6336
Consequences of Malnutrition and Weight Loss
Stay vigilant to the signs of malnutrition in your loved one and act quickly when you observe any worrying signs. As well as suffering from rapid weight loss and hair loss, they may exhibit other effects of malnutrition—for example, general weakness, mouth sores, frequent infections, dry mouth or lips, and fatigue.
The effects and consequences of malnourishment can severely worsen for elderly and frail nursing home residents and can cause a number of damaging health problems in this demographic. A lack of nutrients and adequate vitamins can lead to tooth decay, anemia, and bone fractures. Nutritional deficiencies can also lead to depression and psychological problems in an elderly resident.
Address malnutrition promptly, as it can lead to the premature death of a nursing home resident, as well.
Forest View Rapid Weight Loss or Hair Loss Lawyer Near Me (800) 842-6336
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Can Help
When you entrust your relative to a nursing home’s care, you should not have to see them wasting away, with their basic needs ignored. Malnutrition and dehydration prove preventable with attentive and caring staff at a nursing home.
You should not have to watch your spouse or parent getting thinner and thinner, losing their hair, and suffering from other medical complications caused by inadequate nutrition and neglect in the nursing home. You do not have to accept this mistreatment and its consequences. While proving liability and taking on a nursing home can challenge a family, a Forest View rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer may help you fight for compensation.
If your spouse or parent suffers from malnourishment in the nursing home, we may assist you in recovering any past, present, and potential future medical costs, as well as other expenses, to help your loved one heal.
We offer a free consultation to answer any questions you may have. We may help you make an informed decision about filing a personal injury lawsuit.
If the worst happened and your loved one has passed away due to malnourishment in a nursing home, a Forest View rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer from our team may advise you on filing a wrongful death claim and help with all aspects of building your case.
Contact us for a free case review by calling us.
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