Malnutrition
Phoenix Malnutrition Lawyer Services
Take Action – Contact an Arizona Malnutrition Attorney if Your Loved One Suffered Malnutrition in an Arizona Nursing Home
Malnutrition occurs when a nursing home resident is not provided with adequate vitamins, minerals, protein, and calories. Malnutrition should not occur in a nursing home because the facility has a responsibility to do a nutritional assessment on all residents and to ensure that residents receive well-balanced meals and assistance with eating.
There are a number of steps that can be taken to prevent malnutrition in an assisted living or long-term care facility.
- The nursing home staff should be aware if residents are not eating.
- If the resident needs assistance with feeding themselves, an aid should be on hand to feed the resident.
- If the resident is having difficulties swallowing, a feeding tube can be inserted.
Malnutrition causes a wide range of serious problems, including low blood sugar, muscle weakness, dizziness and falls, and decreased immunity leaving the elder person susceptible to infections. It can be fatal.
When nursing home negligence results in malnutrition, you have every right to hold the nursing home accountable. For more than 30 years the lawyers at Solomon & Relihan have been helping seniors and other victims of nursing home negligence in Arizona. We were the first law firm in the state to tackle a nursing home negligence case — and win.
If you believe that your loved one lost weight or became malnourished because of nursing home neglect, contact the Phoenix law office of Solomon & Relihan for a free initial consultation.
Signs of Malnutrition
When your loved one enters a nursing home, it is critical that you monitor their physical well-being. On visits to the nursing home, watch for unexplained weight loss, increased weakness, or a gray or yellowish skin color. They may seem confused or non-responsive.
If your loved one needs help eating, the nursing home should make sure he or she is being fed and is allowed enough time to eat (sometimes an hour or more, depending on a person’s needs). Is the nursing assistant rushed? They may not permit your loved one enough time to chew and swallow. This can lead to choking, aspiration of food, and pneumonia.
If your loved one eats at their bedside and is left unattended, make sure he or she has eaten the food before the tray is taken away. Sometimes overworked and underpaid staff members rush nursing home residents.
Contact Solomon & Relihan
If you suspect that someone you care about has been abused in a nursing home, take action. Talk to a Phoenix malnutrition lawyer about your options. E-mail the Phoenix law offices of Solomon & Relihan to schedule a free initial consultation.
