Nursing home negligence isn’t always easy to recognize, but one of the signs that you can easily look out for is a loved one’s water intake. It takes only a few hours to see if your loved one is drinking enough water. Why? During the span of a few hours, there’s a high likelihood that someone who drinks enough should have to go to the restroom.
You can also monitor their fluid intake. For example, in a good nursing home, you’ll often see a pitcher of water on a patient’s table. It has lines to show how much water was added and to track how much the patient is drinking. A good nurse will make sure patients are getting enough fluids and take steps to encourage them to drink.
If your loved one does not have their fluid intake tracked or is not given any water during your stay, this is a red flag. Patients, particularly those on medications, need to drink water regularly, and it’s typical for nurses and aids to refill their water or drinks throughout the day.
Another place that you should see regular refills of drinks is in the cafeteria or dining room. If drinks aren’t served with dinner or are often forgotten, this is another sign of negligence that could lead to severe dehydration.
While it might seem like a minuscule mistake, not giving elders easy access to water can lead to dehydration, dizziness, falls and worse. It could be negligence, and you may be able to take legal action to seek justice and compensation for your loved one.