By: California Nursing Home Attorneys Berman & Riedel, LLP
Two out of five nursing home residents suffer from some form of dehydration. There are a variety of reasons why dehydration can occur in nursing home residents, some of those reasons are: diarrhea, the effects of medication, inability to perceive thirst, physical inability to drink or swallow and embarrassment related to incontinence. Many times, unfortunately, a resident’s dehydration is due to inadequate care. Common situations involving dehydration include:
- Failure of the nursing home to employ adequate staff, which results in the staff’s inability to properly feed the residents.
- Failure of the staff members to pay adequate attention to those residents needing assistance with eating.
- Failure to properly educate the staff on nutrition and feeding methods.
- Failure to provide proper supervision over those who provide nutritional services.
In addition to monitoring resident’s intake of fluid, staff should be on the lookout for the following signs of dehydration:
- Dark yellow urine
- Sunken eyes
- Ashen skin
- Dry skin
- Bleeding gums
- Urinary tract infections
- Weight loss
The elder abuse attorneys at Berman & Riedel, LLP, have represented many nursing home residents throughout the State of California that have suffered from the effects of dehydration as a result of nursing home misconduct. The elder abuse attorneys at Berman & Riedel, LLP, aggressively advocate for each and every client, successfully obtaining the best possible results where a nursing home has failed to prevent or treat dehydration. If you or a loved one has suffered or suffers from dehydration, caused by the misconduct of a nursing home, Berman & Riedel, LLP, can offer the experience and skill necessary to provide you with sound advice on what your rights may be under the law. Contact an attorney at Berman & Riedel, LLP, to discuss your legal options.
