MALNUTRITION & DEHYDRATION

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Phoenix Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Handling Malnutrition & Dehydration Claims

Strong advocacy when Arizona nursing home seniors fail to ensure their residents eat a healthy diet

Food and drink. They’re the sustenance of life. Nursing homes in Phoenix should work with nutritionists to ensure their residents eat a healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, proteins, grains, liquids, and other nutritious foods. The nursing home should know the specific dietary needs of each resident including any adjustments that should be made based on the resident’s prescribed medications, ability to feed themselves, and other health plans. Nutrition starts with ensuring that each resident eats the meals and liquids that he/she needs to live a healthy life.

At Garcia & Artigliere, our Arizona nursing home dehydration and malnutrition lawyers have been fighting for the elderly since 1993. We work with doctors and nutritionists who understand what foods and beverages residents should be consuming and how to ensure each resident is well-fed. In one illustrative case, Stephen M. Garcia obtained a $1.5 million verdict for a woman’s family after the woman died from infected and necrotic pressure sores after she was admitted for malnutrition, diarrhea, and vomiting.

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Why is dehydration so dangerous?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) states that seniors who are dehydrated have a high risk of severe serious adverse events, including longer hospital stays and higher death rates.

Chronic hydration is usually due to a low fluid intake over a long period of time. Seniors are more prone to chronic dehydration than younger people because they are less sensitive to thirst, have problems urinating, and tend to drink less. Blood tests help confirm a senior is dehydrated.

A fairly common problem in nursing homes in Phoenix is that many seniors don’t ask for liquids due to dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive impairments. Nursing home staff that are overworked and understaffed often fail to check that a senior is drinking the liquids he/she needs.

What factors indicate a nursing home resident in Phoenix is dehydrated?

Some of the symptoms of dehydration symptoms are:

  • A dry or sticky mouth
  • Thirst
  • Dry skin
  • Reduced urine output
  • A reduced need to urinate
  • Difficulty sweating
  • Low blood pressure
  • Fast breathing

Dehydration complications include kidney failure, seizures, brain swelling, unconsciousness, and delirium.

Nursing Home Neglect

Why is malnutrition so dangerous?

Nursing home residents in Phoenix are considered malnourished if they are underweight or undernourished, or if they are overweight or obese. Most malnutrition cases involved undernourishment.

Some of the possible complications of undernutrition are:

  • Low weight. This condition can cause fatigue, anemia, and osteoporosis.
  • A weakened immune system. The immune system helps fight infections and diseases.
  • An increased risk of falling.
  • A higher risk of heart problems, diabetes, and cancer.

Malnutrition can also cause joint problems, bone problems, scurvy, behavioral problems, and other health disorders. Malnutrition can be fatal.

What factors indicate a nursing home resident in Phoenix is malnourished?

Malnutrition symptoms include:

  • Weight loss
  • Weight gain
  • Tiredness and weakness
  • Problems swallowing
  • Loss of muscle and fat
  • Irritability
  • Visible bones
  • Infections
  • Cognitive difficulties
  • Canker sores
  • Dry skin
  • Low blood pressure

Malnutrition can also cause dental problems, difficulty chewing, and other health disorders.

How do your lawyers show Phoenix nursing home abuse and neglect caused a resident’s dehydration or malnutrition?

At Garcia & Artigliere, our Phoenix nursing home dehydration and malnutrition lawyers understand the laws and regulations nursing homes should follow. We are skilled at showing a nursing home was neglectful or allowed abuseto occur. We understand when dehydration and malnutrition require emergency care.

We work to show your loved one is suffering dehydration or malnutrition due to any of the following types of elder abuse or neglect:

  • Failure to prepare a healthy diet and monitor what the resident eats.
  • Unsanitary and unappetizing eating conditions
  • Food that lacks taste
  • Failing to examine other health problems such as bedsores, eating problems, or back pain– to help determine if those conditions are contributing to the inability of the senior to eat and drink.

Residents should never be disciplined by being denied their meals or other food and drink. Isolating a senior can also contribute to a senior not feeling strong enough or happy enough to eat or drink.

Seniors with cognitive difficulties should never be denied the food and drink they need to be healthy.

Our Phoenix nursing home attorneys also review if any of the following factors contributed to a resident’s dehydration or malnutrition:

  • Not having enough staff
  • Not educating the staff about what food and drink each resident requires and monitoring their intake
  • Abusing a resident
  • Not conducting regular reviews of a resident’s health status, including looking for signs of dehydration or malnutrition
  • Failing to help the senior stay physically and emotionally healthy

What is the value of my Arizona claim for dehydration or malnutrition?

At Garcia & Artigliere, our Phoenix nursing home dehydration and malnutrition attorneys have helped thousands of clients obtain significant settlements and verdicts for elder care abuse and neglect. We work with physicians to show just how damaging the lack of hydration and nutrition is for residents. Our trial lawyers demand compensation for the senior’s:

  • Current and future medical expenses, including emergency care, hospital care, surgeries, doctor visits, physical therapy, occupational therapy, emotional therapy, assistive devices, medications, and other health care costs.
  • The loss of function of any body part
  • The resident’s daily pain and suffering
  • The loss of quality of life

Our lawyers also file wrongful death claims on behalf of the family if the death of a loved one was due to dehydration or malnutrition. In Arizona, wrongful death damages include the funeral and burial costs; the loss of financial support; and the loss of guidance, affection, companionship, and other personal comforts your loved one would have provided.

Do you have a nursing home abuse and neglect lawyer near me?

Garcia & Artigliere represents nursing home residents in Phoenix who suffer from dehydration or malnutrition. We’ll help you through this difficult time, answer all your questions, and guide you calmly and clearly through each stage of the claims process.

Contact us now. Help your loved one by talking with our experienced Arizona nursing home dehydration and malnutrition lawyers today

Nursing home residents deserve to enjoy their food and drink. At a bare minimum, they deserve to have the food and drink they need to survive. It should be common practice for a nursing home in Phoenix to know the nutritional needs of each resident, any dietary restrictions, and to ensure the residents are getting and finishing the food and drinks they need.

At Garcia & Artigliere, our Phoenix nursing home dehydration and malnutrition attorneys are respected by former clients and the legal community for our impressive record of success in holding nursing homes accountable for abuse and neglect through numerous large settlements and verdicts. We maintain additional offices in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Louisville, and New Orleans. Our attorneys also represent clients throughout the United States. We do not receive compensation unless your claim is successful. Call or contact us today.

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