Dehydration is a common sign of nursing home neglect and abuse. Sadly, cases of dehydration in long-term care facilities are avoidable if the facility and staff members take steps to ensure each resident has sufficient water and body fluids. Nursing homes that fail to prevent dehydration can be liable for negligence, damages, and wrongful deaths.
The Boca Raton nursing home abuse lawyers of the Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers take dehydration cases extremely seriously. A resident suffering from dehydration could develop life-threatening conditions. Furthermore, dehydration could be a sign of more serious forms of elder abuse and neglect.
Please contact our law office online or by phone at (561) 347-7770 to speak with a member of our legal team. We will help you understand your rights and take steps to protect your loved one from abuse and neglect in Boca Raton, FL.
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How Our Boca Raton Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers Can Help You with a Dehydration
Nursing home injuries and illnesses are common causes of personal injury lawsuits in Boca Raton, Florida. Unfortunately, older adults are often not able to speak for themselves. Instead, they rely on nursing home staff members to keep them nourished and hydrated. Likewise, they rely on family members and legal professionals to protect them from harm, injury, and abuse.
At the Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, our Boca Raton personal injury lawyers fight to protect the rights of nursing home residents. Our legal team uses our decades of experience and resources to investigate and pursue the parties responsible for your family member’s pain and suffering.
When you hire the Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers to handle your case, you can expect us to:
- Work with you to help you find your loved one a safe and secure environment
- Investigate the nursing home or another facility, including the owners, administrations, and staff members
- Review histories of complaints and charges against the nursing home
- Retain expert witnesses to assist with the case when necessary
- File all claims and monitor deadlines for filing lawsuits
- Negotiate for the maximum value of damages
- Prepare to fight the case in court if the other parties refuse to pay a fair settlement
If you have questions about a nursing home injury claim or abuse claim, call now for a free consultation with one of our nursing home abuse lawyers in Boca Raton, FL.
Signs of Dehydration in Nursing Home Patients
Malnutrition and dehydration are common signs of neglect and abuse in nursing homes. Residents may not be able to feed themselves or ask for water. Denying residents adequate water and liquids can even result in death in severe cases.
Signs of dehydration include:
- Dry skin
- Feeling very thirsty
- Dizziness
- Sweating and urinating less than usual
- Feeling tired
- Urine that has a dark color
- Dry mouth
As dehydration progresses, the symptoms can become more severe. A resident may faint, become confused, or go into shock. Some individuals may have a rapid heartbeat or rapid breathing. The resident may stop urinating as the body loses more fluids in some cases.
Immediate medical attention is required to prevent death. Call 911 if a nursing home resident displays symptoms of dehydration. Complications from long-term dehydration and loss of fluids could include urinary tract infections, kidney failure, hypertension (high blood pressure), intestinal failure, seizures, and dementia.
You may also want to report your concerns to law enforcement officials and social services. They can take action to ensure the patient receives treatment and help.
Why Does Dehydration Occur in Nursing Homes?
Dehydration occurs when a person has too little water in their body. The lack of water disrupts important bodily functions.
Generally, dehydration in nursing homes occurs when residents urinate without drinking water to replenish the fluids in their bodies. Residents may also lose water by sweating during hot weather and passing stools. In addition, they could lose more fluid from diarrhea and vomiting. In some cases, specific types of medications could contribute to dehydration.
Who is responsible for ensuring residents have plenty of fluids?
The nursing facility, administrators, nurses, physicians, caregivers, and staff members are responsible for this task. However, having plenty of fluids is different from drinking fluids. Many residents are too weak to pick up and hold a glass. They may not be able to communicate that they need help or are thirsty.
Therefore, it is the facility’s responsibility and duty of care to ensure it takes steps to reduce the risk of dehydration for residents. There should be policies and procedures in place to check on residents every few hours and give them water and other fluids. In addition, residents who have difficulty feeding themselves should be monitored during meals to ensure they eat and drink all of their liquids.
Staff members should routinely check urine output for signs of dehydration and report any symptoms of dehydration to the administration, nurses, and doctors immediately.
A nursing facility must provide adequate and ongoing training related to the risks of dehydration. It also has a duty of care to staff the facility with sufficient employees to provide adequate care for each resident.
Breaching the Duty of Care and Nursing Home Lawsuits in Florida
When a nursing home breaches its duty of care to a patient and the patient suffers harm, the nursing home, and other parties may be held financially liable for economic and non-economic damages. In abuse and neglect cases, the facility and individuals could face criminal charges.
Your time to pursue a nursing home lawsuit is limited. Contact our attorneys now to discuss how we can help you sue the nursing home responsible for hurting your loved one.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers in Boca Raton, FL
Even mild dehydration should not be tolerated in nursing homes. These cases can quickly develop into life-threatening emergencies.
Call our law office for a free consultation to discuss your loved one’s situation with an experienced Boca Raton nursing home abuse attorney. We want to help achieve justice for you and your family member.
