Many seniors lose weight or lose their hair as they age, which is simply part of the aging process. However, there are certain medical conditions and illnesses that can cause a rapid deterioration of overall health, including rapid weight loss or hair loss. If your loved one is a resident in a nursing home, they have the legal right to receive the best care and supervision possible, which includes monitoring for any symptoms of serious medical issues.
If you discover that your loved one has experienced rapid weight loss or hair loss, consider consulting a Jacksonville rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, and dial (800) 842-6336. A lawyer can help you better understand if you have a case for elder abuse or neglect against the nursing home.
Rapid Weight Loss in the Elderly
While many seniors may lose muscle mass and weight as they age and become frailer, family members should remain concerned if their elderly loved one suddenly experiences rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss can be the sign of serious medical conditions, including gastrointestinal infections, hypothyroidism, dementia, depression, or even cancer. In other cases, rapid weight loss can be the result of malnutrition. Elderly residents of nursing homes have a higher risk of developing malnutrition due to the following factors:
- Certain medications may cause upset stomachs or gastrointestinal issues leading to a decrease in overall appetite
- Failure to have correctly fitted dentures
- The presence of dysphagia or other swallowing disorders related to stroke, dementia, or Parkinson’s disease
- Decrease in appetite due to depression or anxiety
- Poor quality of food leading an elderly resident to simply avoid eating
- Loss of taste and smell related to age that may result in a decreased appetite
- The inability to actually feed themselves as a result of cognitive disorders or physical inability
In other cases, weight loss may be the direct result of the failure of the nursing home staff to provide adequate supervision during mealtimes or help elderly residents that need assistance with eating. In other more severe cases, nursing home staff employees may fail to provide nutrition to residents as a way to punish them or achieve behavioral compliance. If you discover that your elderly loved one suffered any kind of rapid weight loss, you should determine whether or not they may be an actual victim of elder abuse or neglect in the nursing home.
Rapid Hair Loss in the Elderly
Many seniors have substantial amounts of hair loss as they age. While this is part of the aging process, there are circumstances where rapid hair loss may be the sign of a medical condition or even elder abuse or neglect. According to the National Library of Medicine, hair loss in elderly women can be a sign of tumors or even breast cancer. Certain medications can cause hair loss, including treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Malnutrition and changes in medications can also result in rapid hair loss.
While hair loss is often expected in the elderly, rapid hair loss is a cause for concern. If you discover that your loved one has unexpected and sudden hair loss as a resident of a nursing home, it may be actually due to the fact that they have not received the proper care that they should.
Consider hiring a Jacksonville rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm to learn how you may have the legal right to pursue justice for your loved one.
For a free legal consultation with a Rapid Weight Loss or Hair Loss Lawyer serving Jacksonville, call (800) 794-0444
Steps to Take if You Suspect Elder Neglect or Elder Abuse
You may not have all of the answers, but you may know that your elderly loved one has experienced rapid weight loss or rapid hair loss as a resident of a nursing home. If the nursing home fails to provide adequate responses regarding why your loved one continues to deteriorate physically, you should consider the following steps:
- Take your loved one to see a doctor as soon as possible to receive a complete medical evaluation and plan of treatment if they suffer from any medical conditions
- Contact law enforcement if you feel that your loved one or others in the nursing home are in any kind of danger
- Document everything regarding your loved one’s condition, including taking photographs of your loved one, the nursing home, the environment of the nursing home, the menu, the meals provided to residents, interviews with other nursing home residents, or the response from the nursing home staff to the questioning regarding your loved one’s rapid hair loss or weight loss.
- Remove your loved one from the nursing home if you suspect that their rapid weight loss or hair loss was the direct result of either neglect or abuse in the nursing home.
- If you choose to bring a personal injury lawsuit against the nursing home, do so within four years after the incident, as Florida Statutes §95.11 explains.
Jacksonville Rapid Weight Loss or Hair Loss Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Seek Justice by Consulting Our Legal Team
If your loved one experienced significant rapid weight loss or hair loss, you may have the legal right to receive justice for them under the law. Every resident of a nursing home has the legal right to receive proper hydration, nutrition, and medical care and supervision. The failure to properly monitor and supervise a resident in a nursing home could lead to a nursing home neglect or abuse case.
Speak with our legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 842-6336 today. We can help you better understand how a Jacksonville rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer can help you receive compensation and justice for your loved one’s neglect or abuse as a resident in a nursing home. Get in touch with us today.
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