Malnutrition And Dehydration

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Many nursing home residents are unable to eat and drink without assistance. This is often due to dementia or other cognitive deficits that can cause a resident to essentially forget how to eat or forget that he or she needs to eat. We rely on staff at nursing homes to ensure that our loved ones are getting the nutrition and hydration they need. Due to understaffing in many nursing homes, however, residents who need assistance eating and drinking may be neglected.

All too often, food and drink are placed in front of a resident who is unable to eat independently and then picked up an hour later with not a bite or sip taken. Staff members failing to sit with a resident and assist him or her with eating and drinking is frequently the cause of our loved ones becoming malnourished or dehydrated in nursing homes.

It is important to make sure your loved one is eating and drinking. Next time you visit your loved one in a nursing home, ask staff members how his or her appetite has been and check your loved one’s skin to see if it feels “normal.” Often a resident’s skin turgor is a telltale sign of dehydration.

Also, be sure to monitor your loved one for any significant weight loss in a short time. If you have any questions or concerns about malnutrition or dehydration in a nursing home, please do not hesitate to contact us.