Nursing home dehydration lawsuits
Every year thousands of elderly residents of nursing homes are killed as a result of not getting enough food or water. Nursing home dehydration lawsuits are filed to pursue compensation for these helpless residents who are unable to feed themselves and monitor their own nutritional intake.
>>INFORMATION: Nursing home dehydration lawsuits
Dehydration occurs when the body does not receive enough water or fluids. If the amount of fluids being lost by the body exceeds the amount coming in, symptoms of dehydration could appear. The body may stop producing as much sweat, urine and tears. Severe dehydration may cause body tissues to dry up, cells to malfunction or cause damage to the liver, kidney, brain or other organs.
>>INFORMATION: Dehydration symptoms
Federal health records indicate that between 1999 and 2002, nursing home dehydration and malnutrition directly caused the deaths of 13,890 residents nationwide and contributed to the deaths of nearly 70,000 others. Media investigations have indicated that as many as one quarter of all nursing home residents who are taken to the hospital each year show up with signs of dehydration or malnutrition.
In a civilized nation, there is no reason any person should be forced to die as a result of not getting enough food or water. In a nursing home, which has assumed the responsibility of providing care to their residents, there is no justifiable excuse for a dehydration death to occur. Analysis of medical records and investigation by experienced nursing home lawyers often suggest that dehydration deaths are caused by overworked and under trained nursing home employees.
It has been estimated that by 2020, the number of people who will be living in nursing homes will likely double, to reach 3 million people. Unless there are significant changes in the training, supervision and oversight of nursing home employees, neglect and abuse will become an even bigger national problem.
>>INFORMATION: Types of Nursing Home Lawsuits
When nursing home dehydration lawsuits are filed, the facilities often attempt to argue to the jury that the death was unpreventable because the resident was old and ill. However, after living a full life, an individual should be allowed to die in dignity and in comfort, not because a nursing home employee was too busy to give them water or monitor their nutritional intake. The fact that a resident is older or ill is no excuse for failing to provide the basic necessities.
NURSING HOME DEHYDRATION LAWSUITS
The nursing home lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk represent residents of nursing homes and their families nationwide. If your friend or family member has died or suffered serious injury as a result of nursing home dehydration or malnutrition, our attorneys can review the circumstances surrounding the treatment. To determine if there may be benefits available through a nursing home lawsuit, request a free case evaluation.
1 Comment • Add Your Comments
Cheryl Calvin says:
My dad was taken to Alden Princeton Nursing Home in August 2007. He came from Cook County Hospital after having been treated for dehydration. The purpose of putting him in a nursing home was to rehabilitated. He was eating a little and was able to drink liquids. Durring his stay at the nursing home he dehydrated and was sent to the local hospital. The Hospital rehydrated him and sent him back to the Nuring Home. Again he was sent to the Emergency Room for, dehydration, sepsis and phneumonia (my dad said his room mate had his diaper changed the night before and the nurse left the window open all night. Already being vulnarable because he was dehydrating left him susceptable to catchin phenumonia. The last time he dehydrated the Ambulance driver was infurriated. The were unable to get a pulse reading and could not give him an IV unit because his veins were collapsed. He was unable to speak and non-responsive. When she asked the nurse how long he had been that way she wouldn’t answer. Again the hospital gave him nothing but IV fluids from 11:30am til 5:00pm by the time I left the emergency room at 5:30pm my dad was cracking jols with the nurse. I beged the nursing home on a number of occasions to please give my father water. He said he asked them for water and they would tell him they have too many patients and they would get to him when they could. The Hospital rehydrated him for the 3rd time since in the nursing home and I finally asked for Hospice to come to the Nursing Home in hopes they would at minimum give him water when he asked. They saw him for about 3 days then he died. He had prostate cancer that had matastisized throughout his body, but he had been living with it like that for over 2 years. He was not in the nursing home becasue of his cancer. He went to the nursing home to regain his strength after the first dehydration left him so weak, so he could return home. They litterally let him die of dehydration and refused to give him adequate water.
Posted on December 31, 2007 at 5:59 pm