Elder Abuse: Pneumonia, A Severe Risk To Nursing Home Residents

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the air sacs in one or both lungs.1 The air sacs may fill with fluid, causing severe coughs, fever, chills and difficulty breathing.1  The infection may be bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic.  Pneumonia can range from mild and curable to life-threatening. Frequent bed turning helps prevent fluid from building up in the lungs.  It is crucial for nursing home residents who require assistance in movement to be repositioned by staff members on a regular basis. By not doing so, staff are neglecting residents and putting them at risk for developing pneumonia.

Signs and symptoms of pneumonia:

• High fever
• Sweating
• Shaking chills
• Cough that produces a thick, sticky fluid
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle aches
• Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• Headache
• Lower than normal body temperature in people older than age 652

Pneumonia can be prevented in elderly

According to the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, roughly one in ten cases of deaths from pneumonia in nursing homes could be prevented by improving oral hygiene.3  This form of pneumonia is called “aspiration pneumonia.”  Nursing home staff should be following strict handwashing protocols to prevent the spread of infection.  Not doing so poses a potentially fatal threat to seniors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Elderly persons are more vulnerable to pneumonia because the immune system weakens with age, making it more difficult for seniors to ward off bacterial infection. It is important to monitor the health of your loved one so that he or she does not contract pneumonia.  Although the infection is localized within the lungs, pneumonia causes the body to decrease blood flow to other organs, which can result in life-threatening complications including kidney failure and sepsis.4
If you fear your loved one may be at risk for developing pneumonia, take action. Pneumonia can escalate very quickly in an elderly person.
Call our offices at (800)-985-1819 to discuss your concerns with Illinois Nursing Home Abuse Attorney.

References:

1.       Definition: Pneumonia, Mayo Clinic
2.       Symptoms: Pneumonia, Mayo Clinic
3.       “In Nursing Homes, an Epidemic of Poor Dental Hygiene,” New York Times, August 4, 2013
4.       “Dangers of Pneumonia for the Elderly,” eCaring, The Heart of Better Care Management, January 14, 2013