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Diabetic Care For The Elderly In Nursing Homes

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Diabetic Care

Older adults are at a higher risk of developing diabetes. This is the main concern for those who have seniors with diabetes. A great number choose to have their seniors handled by nursing home staff.

It’s paramount to manage the condition over time, as it can lead to serious health issues.

Unfortunately, some nursing homes facilities are not careful enough to attend to such patient’s needs.

When a diabetic senior fails to receive proper care, this may lead to a nursing home negligence claim.




Elderly Diabetic Care For Residents 

According to research conducted and recorded at National Center for Biotechnology Information, diabetes is common among the elderly in nursing homes. Around 20% and 40% of those aged between 65-75 and over 80 years respectively have diabetes.

A diabetic resident needs care in different aspects such as:

  • Administration of medication:The sugar levels of a diabetic patient have to keep on being checked constantly. A designated staff member can give medication when they detect a shoot in high blood pressure or vice versa.

Most nursing home facilities employ in-house nurses or have independent contractors provide the needed medical care to such patients. A medical doctor may create a care plan to be followed by the nurse to administer insulin or any other care. If such a nurse is not keen on observing the blood sugars or blood pressure and such a patient develops complications, they may be liable.

  • Nutrition:Diabetic people have a restricted diet. Their blood sugar levels are managed by eating the right diet. This means that a nutritionist must ensure such a patient gets the right kind of food. Failure to uphold such responsibility equals negligence.
  • General body cleanliness:Hygiene is important to manage diabetes and avoid complications. For instance, diabetic patients are prone to ulcers and sores. The former refers to wounds, especially in areas where they are being injected insulin. They can also develop sores in the feet and legs.

According to WebMD, diabetic people have difficulty dealing with such wounds or sores as they take time to heal. Sometimes, they also cause infections which may later lead to amputations.

Filing A Negligence Claim

There are lots of serious concerns that may lead to a nursing home negligence claim. However, not every complication may emanate from negligence. You may need expert medical testimony to evaluate your senior’s condition.  Many instances may lead to a home nursing facility or its staff being liable for lack of proper care to a diabetic person. Some of these include:

  • Improper staff training: A nursing home facility may fail to train its employees to handle a diabetic patient properly.
  • Understaffing: With less staff members, it becomes impossible to provide the proper hygiene care or medication needed by such patients.
  • Lack of supervision:Diabetic patients need adequate monitoring. If this doesn’t happen, severe complications arise.

There are many sorts of conditions can emanate from the lack of proper care of a diabetic person. Again, these may call for compensation such:

  • Loss of vision:This is common in diabetic people. If the patient never receives appropriate follow-up care, this may amount to liability.
  • Amputations: Where patient wounds or sores are left untreated, the results are amputations of the affected legs or limbs
  • Urinary tract infection: If the glucose in the urine is not regulated, this becomes a breeding ground for infections. Worse enough, this can cause damage to the kidneys.

Suppose you took your diabetic resident to a nursing home facility, but they developed wounds or other infections due to a reasonable lack of care. In that case, you need to take legal action. You can choose to  hire attorneys and law firms in Wasilla Ak to obtain knowledge on the legal process.

Poor care and management are among the most common causes of injuries and deaths among diabetic elderly in nursing homes. And if the worst happens, you may have a medical malpractice case.

If the nursing home facility or staff breaches the duty of care they owe to such patients, it’s advisable to seek an expert to evaluate the situation and offer legal advice. An expert medical opinion may be paramount in deciding whether your senior could be a victim of medical negligence.

Everyone needs a better quality of life, especially those with health conditions. When a senior or their loved ones file a claim on their behalf, the settlement offered can help cater for:

  • Medical costs.
  • Extra care to be offered and other day to day expenses related to the illness.

Proving that a diabetic resident suffered infection because of negligence is complicated. It’s not always obvious that diabetic complications arise from negligence; some situations are unavoidable.

If you think you have a case, your first option would be to look for an experienced nursing home lawyer. Such a lawyer can help determine who may be liable and ensure the resident receives proper financial compensation to cater to their damages.

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