When someone you love is in a nursing home, you expect that they will be treated well. You want them to receive appropriate medical care and the support that they need. Sadly, many elderly individuals and other patients who go to nursing homes end up facing health complications during their stays. One of the most common ailments is dehydration.
Dehydration happens when your body loses more fluids than can be replaced. The normal functions of the body may be disrupted. Some common symptoms of dehydration may include:
- Dry, pale skin
- Disorientation
- Low blood pressure
- Hallucinations
- Delirium
- Inability to think or act normally
- Canker sores
- Dry mouth
- Sudden falls
- A lack of sweating
The unfortunate truth is that dehydration among the elderly is very common in nursing home settings. Nursing homes should take steps to make sure that patients have access to beverages throughout the day. In the case that a patient can’t drink or eat normally, other methods, like using intravenous fluids, should be considered. In a worst-case scenario, the patient may need to be hospitalized.
If you find that your loved one is becoming dehydrated in the nursing home or you see multiple times that they have little or no access to water or other beverages, speak up. Changes may need to be made to help them get more fluids. If the nursing home doesn’t oblige the request, then you may want to move your loved one to a different facility or look into taking legal action to help them get compensation for any harm that has come to them due to medical malpractice or negligence.
