You should feel confident that your parent receives the best possible care in a nursing home. However, some families discover that an elderly loved one is in distress because of abuse or neglect by nursing home staff. In your case, you may worry that your parent is suffering from a lack of nutrition.
Many nursing home residents cannot get up to seek food and drink on their own. They need nurses to wheel them out to dining areas. Some residents receive food in their rooms. If your parent is one such person, and he or she shows certain signs of malnutrition, the nursing home staff might be neglecting the duty of feeding your loved one.
Physical signs
Medical News Today explains that malnutrition can manifest in noticeable ways such as weight loss. You should make sure that any weight loss occurs because of a healthy diet and exercise and not a lack of food. The loss of muscle mass, fat and different kinds of body tissue is another possible sign of malnutrition.
Without the proper diet, your loved one can get sick more frequently or take longer to heal from injuries. If your parent is in ill health more frequently, you should investigate whether your parent is eating well.
Emotional and psychological signs
Pay attention to signs that your parent is not acting normally. A lack of nutrition can make him or her irritable or depressed. Your loved one might show fatigue more often than usual. If your parent was once more talkative, you may now notice that he or she is silent or has issues with concentration.
Some of these signs could arise from getting older or an undiagnosed illness. Still, it is important to find out if your parent is the recipient of neglect. If so, you may decide to hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions.