It can be challenging realizing you need outside help to care for your friend or family member. In some cases, their care becomes too advanced to stay at home. In other cases, you are simply spread too thin to care for them and your other responsibilities.
Finding the right care facility is stressful. While many facilities provide quality care, there are too many stories of unsatisfactory care to ignore. When you visit your loved one, it is essential to know what to look for to ensure they receive quality care.
Here are some tips for spotting malnutrition in your loved one’s nursing home.
Common symptoms
Moving to a care facility can be stressful for you and your loved one. They may have imagined living out the rest of their life in their home, or the time when they started needing assistance may have come sooner than they thought.
Stress can cause changes in eating habits or weight loss, so those are just two of several symptoms of malnutrition. Other signs of malnutrition can include:
- Weakness
- Tiredness
- Swelling or fluid retention
- Eating smaller meals
When you see one or more of these symptoms, it is time to start paying attention and asking questions. You should talk to both your loved one and the care facility to learn what the meals include and how much your loved one is eating.
Talking to your loved one
Your friend or family member might not feel comfortable talking about the new conditions in their care facility. Sometimes family members feel like a burden if they complain about not getting proper nutrition. Your loved one might also not be aware that their meals lack essential nutrients.
When you talk to your friend or family member, assure them that it is ok to speak to you about the care they are receiving. It is important to remind your loved one that you are there to advocate for their care.
Make an appointment
As soon as you notice signs of malnutrition, you should help your loved one make an appointment to see their physician. The sooner you help your friend or family member get an appropriate diagnosis, the sooner you can help them get the care they need.