Nursing Home Dehydration Lawsuits

When an elderly person becomes dehydrated, health complications can arise. A nursing home resident who is dehydrated will often need more than drinking a glass of water to replace fluids.

Dehydration in the elderly is dangerous but far too common. It is estimated that roughly 40% of senior adults are chronically dehydrated. However, when it happens to a nursing home resident, this is a sign of elder neglect and abuse.

If your loved one has suffered from nursing home dehydration, contact The Cartwright Law Firm to schedule a free case review with one of our experienced nursing home abuse lawyers.

Causes of Dehydration

Dehydration is the absence of proper fluid intake. When your body does not have as much water as it needs, health complications can occur.

There are several reasons why a person may be dehydrated:

Not drinking enough water

Even if you don’t feel thirsty, it is important to keep drinking small sips of water throughout the day. Studies recommend that men drink 125 ounces and that women drink 91 ounces.

Inadequate water consumption can lead to a host of problems. Every person’s body requires different levels of water, but if you feel thirsty, drink water!

Electrolyte imbalance

Losing fluids at a rapid pace, which can occur with acute diarrhea or vomiting, will cause your body to have an inadequate amount of water and electrolytes.

An electrolyte imbalance can also result from not eating enough fruits and vegetables that are high in sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium chloride.

Electrolyte imbalance can happen through excessive sweating. Excessive sweating can occur from working out or being out in the heat. Drinking enough water or sports drinks can help to replenish your electrolyte imbalance.

Fever

Having a fever will cause you to be dehydrated. Individuals with higher fevers tend to be more dehydrated. Fevers also cause an electrolyte imbalance, resulting in fatigue and muscle weakness.

If your fever is accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting, you may become severely dehydrated and require hospitalization.

Increased Urination

There are several factors that may cause increased urination. Two obvious reasons are consuming caffeine and having diabetes.

If you drink caffeinated beverages, like coffee, soda, or alcohol, you will have increased urination. If you are consuming these in moderation and still consuming plenty of water, there should be no issue. But when you are drinking coffee throughout the day and not enough water to replenish your system, you run the risk of becoming dehydrated.

The same often holds true if you have undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetes. In diabetes, you will urinate often to filter out high blood sugar. On top of that, since your body is trying to regulate your sugar levels, diabetes patients are habitually thirsty. Increased water consumption will only increase urination frequency.

Taking certain medications

This is a common reason that elderly people get dehydrated. Some medications are designed to flush electrolytes and water out of the body.

It is important to know if dehydration is a side effect of any of your medications. If so, you should speak with your doctor about how to stay properly hydrated.

Symptoms of Dehydration

Symptoms of dehydration can vary by age. Although younger people may experience thirst, older people may be dehydrated but not necessarily feel thirsty.

Infants or young children may experience any of the following symptoms:

• Dry mouth
• No tears when crying
• Sunken eyes or cheeks
• Sunken soft spot on top of the skull
• Irritability

Adults may experience any of the following symptoms:

• Less frequent urination
• Dark-colored urine
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Confusion

Dehydration in the Elderly

Our body composition changes as we get older. By the time an older person begins to feel thirsty, this is a red flag that the individual is dehydrated.

Dehydration in the elderly can lead to serious health complications. Dehydration can cause the natural elasticity of the skin to be compromised. Since elderly patients who are immobile may lay in bed for hours if they are dehydrated, there is an increased risk of bedsores.

Other health complications that may occur are:

Heat injury

If you are sweating heavily and not replenishing your fluids, you may suffer from heat exhaustion or heat cramps.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

A UTI is usually caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract; dehydration increases the risk of a UTI for three main reasons.

First, if you pee less often, you are allowing more time for bacteria to grow in your urinary tract. Second, your urine will be more acidic, which allows bacteria to grow easier. Third, if you are dehydrated, your body is less likely to be able to fight off an infection.

Kidney Problems

Low water intake can compromise the kidneys. That’s because our kidneys rely on adequate water consumption to filter out waste from the body. When we don’t drink enough water, myoglobin can build up in the kidneys, causing kidney stones and even kidney failure.

Seizures

Electrolytes help carry electronic signals to our brain cells. When there is an imbalance, a person is more likely to lose consciousness and, in more severe cases, have an uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain (a seizure).

Hypovolemic shock

One of the most severe complications of dehydration, hypovolemic shock, occurs when low blood volume causes a drop in blood pressure and oxygen in the body.

Why is Dehydration Prevalent in Nursing Home Residents?

A recent study examining nursing homes in the Midwest for a five-year time span showed that 37.9% of residents were dehydrated. But why is dehydration so common in nursing homes?

There are a number of reasons why nursing home residents are regularly dehydrated. Understaffing is a major culprit. To reduce costs, nursing homes have been cutting down on nurses, causing a severe shortage. While trimming down on the costs helps a nursing home’s bottom line, it comes at the expense of the health and well-being of residents.

Residents with cognitive impairments, like dementia, may forget to drink water. Even though it is not a conscious choice, a lack of close monitoring can have devastating effects.

Some residents may avoid drinking water due to mobility issues. With many nursing homes having too few nurses, residents may purposefully not drink water since they will need a nurse’s assistance in going to the bathroom, and they may have to wait a long time to get assistance.

The mindful choice to not drink water occurs frequently when residents have bladder control issues. Factoring in a long wait time and the possibility of having an accident, residents may choose to skip drinking a glass of water.

If you have reason to believe that a loved one has been the victim of neglect, you should speak with a San Francisco nursing home abuse lawyer today.

Contact Our San Francisco Nursing Home Abuse Lawyers

Nursing home residents rely on trained staff to take care of their needs. Dehydration is easily preventable but is often missed in nursing home residents. If you have a family member who has experienced health complications from dehydration, contact The Cartwright Law Firm, Inc. today.