According to an article in the News–Gazette, nursing home inspectors for both the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District found plenty to be unhappy about at the Champaign County Nursing Home.
The majority of the violations had to do with unsanitary conditions and food handling practices. One of the residents of the facility lost 10 pounds in a single month. While many of us would love the idea of that kind of weight loss, for the nursing home resident in question the loss constituted nearly 8% of her total body weight.
For a person of that size, a drastic weight loss might lead to a cardiac event or other equally serious health problems. The resident was also prescribed a high calorie health shake (probably something like Ensure) but the nursing home had no record of this.
The investigations revealed that 22 of the residents were only given half of their dinner. Other residents were not given their fruit, and the wife of one of the residents told inspectors that she had found pieces of cardboard in his food.
In addition, one of the walk in coolers was unable to maintain food at a safe temperature.
Dehydration and malnutrition are two of the most common forms of nursing home neglect. When a resident is not receiving proper nourishment, they become much more likely to experience nursing home falls, bed sores, and other conditions.
If you have a loved one in an Illinois nursing home, and you notice that they have lost a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, don’t hesitate to speak out about your concern. Nurses, nursing home administration, and the resident’s physician should all be aware of such developments.
If you feel your loved one has suffered serious consequences as a result of dehydration or malnutrition, contact the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle for a free and confidential evaluation of your case.
Other blog posts of interest:
Fall from shower bed at Champaign County Nursing Home