What o Do If You Suspect Dehydration in a Nursing Home?

If you have a loved one in a Milwaukee nursing home, dehydration should never be a concern you have to face. Long-term care facilities have a legal duty to provide care to their residents that meets acceptable standards. This includes ensuring they remain properly hydrated. Yet sadly, it remains one of the most common forms of nursing home neglect in Wisconsin.

Dehydration poses serious health risks for elderly individuals. With many facilities understaffed today, you can help to protect your loved one by recognizing the signs of dehydration.

If you suspect a loved one in long-term care is showing signs of dehydration, there are several steps you can take, including seeking legal help.

At PKSD, our Wisconsin nursing home abuse attorneys have extensive experience recovering favorable outcomes for victims of nursing home neglect and their families. Contact our law offices to get answers to your questions. We can determine if you may have legal options at no cost or risk to you.

What Is Dehydration and Why Is It Dangerous to an Elderly Resident?

Dehydration occurs when your loved one’s body loses more fluids than it takes in, disrupting the delicate balance of minerals that keep organs functioning properly. In elderly nursing home residents, this condition is particularly dangerous because their bodies are less efficient at conserving water and their thirst response often becomes impaired with age, meaning they may not even realize they need to drink more fluids.

For nursing home residents, dehydration can quickly escalate into a medical emergency, leading to severe complications including confusion, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and kidney failure. Even mild dehydration can worsen existing health conditions and make residents more susceptible to falls, urinary tract infections, and blood clots – all of which can be life-threatening in elderly individuals.

What Are Some Common Signs of Dehydration in the Elderly?

Dehydration can be tricky to spot in nursing home residents because many symptoms mirror other health conditions. When visiting your loved one, it is crucial to watch for sudden changes in their physical appearance and behavior. Subtle signs are often the first clues that something isn’t right.

Early warning signs of dehydration include:

• Deeply sunken eyes with dark circles underneath
• Rapid breathing, especially when they’re resting quietly
• Paper-dry skin that stays lifted when gently pinched
• Cracked lips and a tongue that looks like leather
• Weakness that makes moving from bed to chair difficult
• Mental confusion that’s worse than their usual state
• Strong-smelling, dark-colored urine or no urination for 12+ hours
• Dizziness or new problems with balance, especially when standing
• Cold, clammy hands and feet despite warm room temperature
• Unusual sleepiness or trouble staying awake during normal activities

What Steps Can I Take if I Suspect Dehydration?

If you suspect an elderly loved on in a nursing home may be dehydrated, consider taking these important steps:

Observe and Document Fluid Intake and Urine Output

• Track how much your loved one is drinking and how often they use the bathroom.
• Note any signs of dehydration discussed above, including the timing and frequency of these symptoms.
• Encourage them to hydrate whenever possible. Offer a variety of beverages to make staying hydrated more appealing. Adding fruits or unsweetened herbal teas may make water more enticing.

Communicate with Nursing Home Staff

• Share your concerns with the nursing home staff. Provide staff with any observations and notes you have made.
• Ask for information on the facility’s policies on hydration and how staff members ensure that residents stay hydrated

Advocate for Appropriate Care

• If the nursing home staff do not take your concerns seriously, raise the issue with administrative directors at the facility.
• You can also contact your local ombudsman for help with concerns about nursing home neglect
• Make sure your loved one receives the necessary fluids through drinking or intravenous therapy.

Request a Medical Evaluation

• Ask for blood tests to check your loved one’s electrolyte levels
• If you believe dehydration is an immediate health risk, ask a physician to evaluate your loved one. A healthcare professional can examine your loved one and adjust care plans.
• Be prepared to share your observations, notes and any relevant medical history with the doctor to assist in the evaluation.

After expressing your concerns, continue to monitor your loved one’s hydration status. Look for signs of improvement or any persistent symptoms. However, if you believe your loved one is in immediate danger, you can request transportation to a hospital.

Do I Need Legal Help If My Family Member Suffered Harm Due to Dehydration?

When nursing home staff fail to provide adequate hydration, leading to harm or hospitalization of your loved one, it is not just a minor oversight. It is a serious form of nursing home neglect that demands immediate action. Wisconsin law recognizes dehydration in nursing homes as a form of abuse. Nursing homes and other long-term facilities have a legal duty to monitor residents’ fluid intake, maintain proper staffing levels and ensure all residents receive basic care, including adequate hydration.

Speaking with one of our nursing home injury attorneys can help you understand your legal options and protect your loved one’s rights. Many families do not realize that dehydration incidents often indicate deeper problems within the facility, such as chronic understaffing or inadequate staff training. By taking legal action, you not only seek justice for your family member but also help prevent other residents from suffering similar neglect.

Contact Our Firm for Legal Help

If you suspect your loved one has suffered from dehydration or other forms of neglect in a nursing home in Milwaukee, we encourage you to seek legal help from PKSD as soon as possible. Our firm has a reputation for being a trusted law firm, as well as one that understands the complexities of nursing home negligence.

We have a team of highly qualified lawyers who also have extensive experience managing nursing home injury cases. We are deeply committed to holding negligent facilities accountable for actions that cause harm to residents in their care.

Request a free review of your case today. If you have legal options and you choose to move forward, there are no upfront costs or fees to pay. We only get paid if you do, so there is no risk to you.

PKSD. Experienced Lawyers. Proven Results.: 414-333-3333