It is not an easy decision to place your family member in a nursing home, but it is often in their best interests. Nursing homes can provide round-the-clock care and vital assistance with daily routines.
Being in a nursing home doesn’t mean that your relative gives up their independence, it just means that they get help in the areas they require. Nursing home facilities have a legal duty to provide a high standard of care to their residents. Residents must have access to a safe dwelling, medicines and nutrition.
Sadly, institutions can fail in this duty at times. Your loved one may not be getting the care they need in terms of nutrition. If this is the case, how can you tell?
Noticeable weight loss
If your family member is showing signs of weight loss, this is not necessarily healthy and it could be a sign that something is amiss. Does their face look different? Perhaps their cheekbones are more prominent than usual? Their skin may also appear dry, with cracked skin and sores. This could be a sign that they are malnourished, which is an important issue that needs to be addressed immediately with nursing home management.
A change in outlook
Your regular visits have generally been a great source of happiness and comfort, but recently, you notice that your family member is less enthusiastic. They might not show much interest in talking to you or partaking in any other fun activities. Perhaps they display a lack of focus and increasing levels of forgetfulness. While malnutrition is not the only possible cause of these symptoms, it could certainly be a factor and it is worth exploring in more detail.
Elderly people have made valuable contributions to society and they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect during the later stages of their life. If you feel like a nursing home facility has been neglectful, then there are a host of legal options at your disposal.