Significant weight loss often is a sign or symptom of nursing home neglect, which is a form of elder abuse, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA). Significant weight loss can stem from two different types of abuse:

• Passive neglect, which typically refers to a situation in which a caregiver fails to provide proper care (including food, water, and medical care) to a nursing home resident without necessarily having an intent to harm the patient; and/or
• Willful deprivation, which refers to a situation in which a caregiver intentionally withholds food, water, medical care, and other forms of assistance that can result in serious injury to a nursing home residents.

Generally speaking, if you are concerned about an elderly loved one’s serious weight loss in a Minnesota nursing home, you should be aware of the other signs and symptoms of neglect. Significant weight loss on its own can be an important sign of neglect, and you should always speak with a Minnesota nursing home neglect lawyer if you have concerns. If your elderly parent or another relative is a patient at a skilled nursing facility where she or he has experienced significant weight loss, you should know that the presence of additional symptoms of neglect can be clear warning signs that you should heed. The NCOA cites the following as common signs and symptoms of elder neglect:

• Bedsores;
• Unattended medical needs;
• Poor hygiene; and
• Unusual weight loss.

As we mentioned, significant weight loss often stems from malnutrition and dehydration, and any unusual weight loss should be taken extremely seriously. Weight loss can also happen when a resident has experienced other forms of abuse that affect the resident’s emotional or psychological well-being (and desire to eat), including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse.

The NCOA emphasizes that seniors who have been mistreated and have been victims of nursing home abuse or neglect “have a 300 percent higher risk of death when compared to those who have not been mistreated.”