Watching your loved one lose weight or become weaker in a nursing home can be alarming. Malnutrition can develop for many reasons, including physical or mental changes and medical conditions. When inadequate care also contributes, your loved one may face physical harm.
Why can malnutrition become a serious problem?
Your loved one may have difficulty eating because of health conditions, reduced appetite or physical changes. They may also need help eating or require a specific diet. Without appropriate nutritional support, ongoing problems can cause weight and muscle loss and declining health.
Severe malnutrition can cause weakness and slow the healing process, making it harder for your loved one to recover from illness or injury. Loss of strength can also leave an older adult more vulnerable to falls and other physical harm.
How can poor care contribute to malnutrition?
Malnutrition does not automatically mean a nursing home neglected your loved one. However, inadequate care can contribute when staff fail to provide needed food or drink or do not respond to your loved one’s nutritional needs.
Ask whether the staff is monitoring weight, responding to eating difficulties and providing nutritional support. If you are authorized to participate in your loved one’s care, ask to review the care plan and discuss whether it addresses any nutritional concerns. Under federal and Indiana law, nursing home residents have the right to participate in developing their care plan and receive the services included in it.
What signs should families watch for?
Nutritional decline can be gradual and hard to notice. During visits, watch for:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of muscle or strength
- Changes in eating habits or difficulty eating
- Meals regularly left unfinished
- An unmet need for assistance with eating
These signs alone do not prove neglect. They can signal that your loved one’s nutritional needs require further evaluation.
What can families do if poor care may have caused harm?
Keep a dated record of changes in weight, eating habits and physical condition. Ask the facility how staff is addressing those changes. Keep copies of relevant medical records and document any conversations with facility personnel.
When inadequate care may have contributed to malnutrition, weakness, a fall or another physical injury, a nursing home neglect attorney can review the circumstances and explain your legal options.
