If your loved one who stays in a nursing home drops weight unexpectedly or loses hair, the cause might be neglect. Malnutrition or dehydration can cause hair to fall out and unintended weight loss.
A Phoenix rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer can help you take legal action against a long-term care facility that harms your loved one through neglect or abuse. You can call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today to find out how we can help. The initial consultation is free, and there is no obligation.
The Connection Between Nursing Home Neglect and Rapid Weight Loss of Hair Loss
When a senior citizen does not get the nutrients needed to maintain healthy skin or hair, the individual can experience hair loss. If one does not get enough calories, hydration, or high-quality food, the result can be weight loss.
Failure to provide adequate nutrition and hydration can happen at a long-term care facility because:
- The nursing home does not employ enough staff members to attend to all of the residents who need assistance with feeding and drinking.
- The facility does not bother to go to the rooms of residents and bring them into the dining hall so that they do not miss meals.
- The facility does not track the amount of food the residents eat. Everyone can have a lower appetite on occasion, but if a senior consistently eats too little, he can become malnourished.
- The staff members do not keep a count of the volume of liquids each resident consumes every day. Seniors are prone to dehydration, which can lead to bladder infections and kidney disease.
- The kitchen staff members water down the fruit juices and other items to “stretch” them, as a cost-saving device. As a result, the residents do not get the calories or nutrients they need.
- The residents receive low-quality, cheap, highly-processed, unbalanced meals. This situation happens when the focus is on the cost of food rather than the nutritional value.
- The care home administrators do not create and enforce protocols that would prevent these undesired outcomes.
Your loved one should not have to suffer because the owners of the nursing home want to get richer.
A Phoenix rapid weight loss or hair loss lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help you discover if the long-term care facility is harming your loved one and take action. Call us today for a no-cost consultation.
The Mayo Clinic says that malnutrition can cause:
- A higher risk of broken bones and falls because of diminished bone mass and weakened muscles
- Wounds to heal poorly, which can increase the risk of amputation
- Increased risk of infections and illness because of a weak immune system
- An increased chance of hospitalization and death
Also, the Mayo Clinic reports that significant weight loss can cause a person to experience hair loss.
Other Signs of Neglect at a Nursing Home
Neglect seldom gets limited to one area of care at a nursing home. If your loved one does not receive adequate nutrition or hydration, there are likely other deficiencies as well.
If you see any of these signs, you might want to investigate further. These indicators are not automatic proof of mistreatment, so you cannot assume neglect without sufficient evidence.
- Substantial changes in your relative’s emotional state. Some mood changes can come with aging, dementia, or medications, but marked mood variation from the ordinary can be a red flag of abuse or neglect. You might want to ask questions if your loved one suddenly becomes fearful, anxious, or withdrawn.
- Unexplained injuries, like bruises or bedsores (pressure ulcers). Some elderly people bruise quite easily, particularly if they take blood-thinning medication. Bedsores should not happen in a nursing home that follows pressure ulcer prevention protocols.
- Chaos on the floor. If the staff seem to be running around frantically instead of having things under control, the residents are likely to suffer. A well-run long-term care home will be a peaceful place where the staff has the time to provide personal care to each resident. If instead, the team members have to scramble, they are likely only giving the bare minimum of attention to the residents, if even that.
- No improvements. A business should seek to have constant improvement. If you ask the management or staff members about the recent initiatives or new programs the facility is implementing, they should be able to tell you about several such items. An enterprise that cares about quality will always try to improve.
- An unfriendly vibe. When you go to visit your loved one, how does the facility make you feel? In a well-managed care home, you should feel comfortable and relaxed. You might want to be concerned about a facility in which the employees squabble and dislike each other, the residents have animosity toward each other, and the staff members are cold instead of caring and nurturing toward the residents.
Abuse and neglect can take many forms. Whether your relative gets his medication late or has to lie in their own filth for two hours waiting for someone to come change the bed and bathe him, the neglect or abuse of older adults in nursing homes is unacceptable.
Many nursing homes provide excellent care and treat the residents well. Unfortunately, some long-term care facilities will only shape up when someone forces them to do so.
For a free legal consultation with a Rapid Weight Loss or Hair Loss Lawyer serving Phoenix, call (800) 794-0444
How to Get Legal Help for Nursing Home Neglect in Phoenix
You do not want to delay if you have a good reason to suspect the abuse or neglect of your relative in a nursing home. The mistreatment will not magically go away on its own. Your loved one will continue to suffer until someone takes action.
Also, there are time limits for filing lawsuits for personal injuries. If you miss the deadline, you could lose the right ever to make the care facility pay for the harm your relative suffered.
We can talk with you and let you know if you have a claim against a Phoenix nursing home. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today for a free consultation. There is no obligation.
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