Dehydration

Rhode Island and Massachusetts Nursing Home Neglect Attorney

If a family member has been hospitalized due to dehydration while in a nursing home in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, contact me, lawyer Jeffrey Padwa. It may be a sign of neglect.

I was hired by the son of a man admitted to a Providence nursing home because of dementia. The father was at increased risk for dehydration because of his dementia and medications he was taking. The nursing home failed to prepare a care plan to address the risk of dehydration. The nursing staff did not systematically offer the resident fluids, provide him with assistance in drinking, monitor his fluid intake and output, or order lab tests such as a urinalysis to see if he was getting sufficient fluids. He became unresponsive and died from acute renal failure due to dehydration.

Since elderly persons often have a reduced sense of thirst, dehydration is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization after age 65. Elderly dehydration is a serious health condition which can lead to death.

Jeffrey Padwa represents clients, gives presentations, and writes articles in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and nationwide.

Signs of Elderly Dehydration

You should contact an attorney whenever you notice signs of a lack of water intake. Those signs may include:

• Dry eyes, mouth or skin
• Changes in behavior
• Fever
• Nausea, vomiting
• Low blood pressure
• Small amount of concentrated urine
• Dizziness, lethargy, weakness
• Sunken eyes
• Skin that lacks its normal elasticity and sags back into position slowly when pinched up into a fold

Risk Factors for Dehydration

Dehydration should be managed through an individualized care plan to promote adequate hydration based upon identifying risk factors such as:

• Alzheimer's, or other dementia
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• Urinary incontinence
• History of dehydration
• 4 or more chronic conditions
• Medications such as diuretics, antidepressants, psychotropics, or anti-anxiety medications
• Acute medical conditions such as colds and flues

Preventing Dehydration in the Elderly

Adequate hydration for the elderly requires:

• Making sure nursing home residents drink enough every day
• Offering residents fluids at meals and between meals, such as snack times
• Using fans or air conditioners to cool rooms during hot weather
• Monitoring fluid intake and output
• Weighing residents, periodically

Treating Dehydration in the Elderly

Treatment of dehydrated is accomplished by replacing necessary water and electrolytes (rehydration). For severe cases of dehydration, fluids will be given through an IV.

Nursing Home Liability for Dehydration

In almost all cases, elderly dehydration is the result of neglect. Nursing home dieticians are required to assess their residents and recommend how much fluid each resident should receive on a daily basis. The nursing home is supposed to document water intake. However, nursing home staffs rarely provide residents with the recommended daily amount of hydration, which is typically between 1,500 ml and 2,500 ml of water a day. In some cases, nursing aides do not want to give nursing home residents fluids because then they will need help going to the bathroom.

A nursing home or assisted living residence may be found liable for failing to prevent dehydration while a resident is in their care, or failing to treat properly a resident with dehydration. Personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits hold nursing homes accountable, help protect other seniors from similar harm, recover money damages for injured persons and their families, and help families to gain emotional closure.

Free Consultation: Concerned about your loved one's care in a nursing home or assisted living residence? Call nursing home injury lawyer Jeffrey Padwa.