Nursing Home Lawyers District Heights MD
If you suspect that a family member is suffering from malnourishment and nursing home neglect, it may be time to contact nursing home lawyers District Heights, MD residents recommend.
Many families must make the decision to place their loved one in a nursing home because of the level of care they require. It is critical for nursing home patients to receive the proper amount of care and nutrition they need, otherwise their medical conditions could worsen. They could also develop new illnesses.
Malnourishment is one of the common cases of nursing home negligence that the nursing home abuse attorneys from Cohen & Cohen have worked on. We have extensive experience in identifying this and other types of negligence that your loved one has been exposed to and we will make sure the responsible parties are held accountable. For compassionate yet fierce nursing home lawyers who are licensed to practice in District Heights and throughout MD, call us today.
Signs Your Loved One Is Being Malnourished
Many of the types of medical conditions that elderly patients suffer from do leave them suffering from weight loss. For example, a patient who is suffering from Type 1 diabetes is often much thinner than they were when they were healthy because the condition leaves the body unable to absorb nutrients.
However, many cases of elderly patients suffering malnourishment are caused by nursing home staff neglect. Certified nursing assistants are usually assigned the task of making sure each patient receives their proper meals. A CNA is typically assigned between 10 to 15 patients per meal they are responsible for. Most nursing homes adhere to these types of numbers, despite numerous studies which show that a CNA should not be responsible for more than three patients per mealtime.
When a nursing home patient is not being given enough nutrients, it can cause health problems that often warrant the need for lawyers to try to make a negligent District Heights, MD nursing home accountable for its abuse.
There is also the issue of high staff turnover at nursing homes, which often leads to a constant flow of new employees who lack experience and/or training. This, too, can lead to patients not being fed enough food to stay healthy.
So how can you be sure that your elderly loved one is receiving the proper nutrition they need? There are other signs family members should watch for which could be warnings that the weight loss is not a result of any illness or condition but is instead happening because their loved one is not receiving proper nourishment. These signs include:
- Bleeding gums
- Canker sores
- Cracked lips
- Edema (fluid retention)
- Flaccid muscles
- Inability to think clearly
- Inside of mouth becomes bright red
- Irritability
- Lethargy
- Loss of hair
- Red and glassy eyes
- Sallowness, dryness, or other skin problems
- Skin under fingernails turning white
- Swelling of the abdomen
- Swollen corneas
- Tooth decay
- White patches on tongue and cheeks caused by a yeast infection
If any of these symptoms are present, you need to act immediately. Contact the physician who is in charge of treating your loved one, as well as the nursing home administrator. Your next step should be to contact nursing home abuse and neglect lawyers.
Call a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Today
At our firm, we aggressively fight for the rights of nursing home abuse victims and their families, protecting the victim’s rights and seeking justice and financial compensation for the harm they have suffered at the hands of nursing home staff. If your loved one has been a victim of neglect, contact Cohen & Cohen today to find out how we can help.
For highly rated nursing home lawyers District Heights, MD nursing home abuse victims and their families can rely on, contact Cohen & Cohen for a free case consultation and evaluation with no obligations.
