After moving a family member to a nursing home, you may be worried that they could become a victim of neglect or abuse. Your fears aren’t unfounded – in fact, a staggering 95% of patients in long-term care facilities report being neglected or witnessing another patient be neglected. One key indicator of neglect is weight loss.
Learn why weight loss is a critical issue for elderly patients, how to know if your loved one’s weight loss is normal, and what you can do if you suspect your loved one has lost significant weight due to nursing home neglect or abuse.
Why Major Weight Loss in Nursing Homes is a Key Issue
Sudden and/or significant weight loss can put patients at an increased risk of:
Bedsores
As an elderly person loses weight, whether naturally due to age or rapidly due to neglect, their risk of bedsores increases. These are also called pressure ulcers and are the result of decreased “padding” on the patient’s body.
As the patient remains in one spot, blood flow to areas pressed against the bed is restricted, causing these sores to develop on bony areas like the heels, backs of their thighs, tailbone, elbows, and shoulder blades.
Bedsores can be prevented by moving bedridden patients frequently, so there’s not too much pressure on any one part of the patient’s body. When left untreated, pressure ulcers can become painful and infected, potentially causing deadly complications like sepsis.
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Sepsis In Nursing Homes: Making The Case For Neglect
A Weakened Immune Response
Rapid or extreme weight loss in elderly patients can have a negative impact on the body’s immune system. Unfortunately, this mechanism is already partially compromised due to aging and exposure to bacteria and viruses in an assisted living setting. When weight loss occurs, especially due to malnutrition, patients may get sick more often or have a harder time recovering from illness and injury.
More Frequent Falls
Another major issue caused by weight loss and inadequate nutrition is muscle weakness and difficulty moving around. Patients who have rapidly lost weight and/or who are not receiving critical vitamins and nutrients are at a higher risk of falls due to being more unsteady on their feet.
Because elderly individuals tend to have brittle bones, injuries from falls can be much more severe for nursing home patients than the average middle-age adult. A slip and fall can easily result in broken bones, head injuries, and even death, especially if the fall occurs on a hard surface like linoleum or concrete.
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Falls In Nursing Homes Are a Serious Sign Of Neglect
Differentiating Between Expected Weight Loss and Weight Loss From Nursing Home Neglect
In some cases, nursing home patients are in poor health and have a reduced life expectancy due to a number of different factors. Sometimes, it can be challenging to differentiate between weight loss that is par for the course for someone’s condition and premature weight loss that occurs as a result of neglect.
For example, a patient with terminal stomach cancer is likely going to have difficulty eating as they approach the end of their life. This patient would likely be expected to lose weight due to their condition. Alternatively, if a patient with dementia who is not expected to pass away soon begins to lose weight just as quickly, this is more likely an indicator of neglect.
Understanding your loved one’s medical diagnoses before admitting them to a long-term care facility can help you create a baseline for what is and isn’t normal for them. That way, you can have a better idea of what to expect and when you should be worried.
Take Action Now If Your Loved One is Being Neglected in a Nursing Home
Nursing home neglect is a pervasive issue that affects the majority of long-term care facilities throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. If your family member is showing signs of unexplained or sudden weight loss, or you believe they may be suffering neglect for other reasons, don’t wait to get in touch with our qualified legal advocates.
Contact Mazow | McCullough, PC today to get started at (978) 744-8000 or dial our toll-free number at (855) 693-9084. We look forward to helping you seek justice.
