Nursing home residents rely on the professionals at the facility where they reside for various daily needs, including meal preparation. Despite having access to prepared meals that should be nutritionally sound, malnutrition is a common issue among nursing home residents.
Some research indicates that roughly one in five residents of a nursing home may have medical challenges related to malnutrition. Family members concerned about a loved one’s weight loss or symptoms of micronutrient deficits may need to take action.
How does malnutrition occur in a facility?
There are several reasons that malnutrition is a concern in a nursing home. First and foremost, cost-cutting measures by the nursing home may result in residents receiving lower-quality foods, such as processed food items instead of whole foods that are more nutritionally dense.
In some cases, employees may actually restrict residents’ access to foods, which is inappropriate and potentially abusive conduct if they target specific people. Complicating factors, such as depression, cognitive decline or reliance on workers to navigate the facility, can increase the likelihood of individuals forgoing meals and developing nutritional deficits as a result.
Nursing home residents should have consistent access to high-quality foods that meet all of their nutritional needs. The employees at the nursing home should also ensure that individual residents do not forgo too many meals.
In scenarios where nursing home policies or work or negligence have resulted in malnutrition and medical complications, families may have grounds to pursue negligence claims against the nursing homes where their loved ones did not receive adequate nutrition. A nursing home negligence lawsuit can lead to compensation for a loved one’s medical expenses and prompt better care standards at a nursing home.