Dehydration

Dehydration - Mary Jones

Mary Jones* was a 76 year-old widow who was living alone in her home when she fell and fractured her hip. Following surgery at a local hospital, Mrs. Jones was admitted to a local nursing home for rehabilitation and strengthening. Her doctor told her to expect to remain in the nursing home for 2-4 weeks, with a plan to discharge Mrs. Jones to her home with support services.

Three days following admission, Mrs. Jones' children came for a visit and noticed that their mother was drowsy and developing increasing confusion. Prior to admission, Mrs. Jones had no signs of Alzheimer's Disease or dementia. She lost her appetite and refused to drink liquids when offered. The nursing staff assured the family that these symptoms were part of the adjustment process to a new environment, and that elderly often developed transient signs of confusion in new situations. When asked whether the doctor should see Mrs. Jones, the nursing staff replied that it was not necessary.

During a family visit during the week-end, Mrs. Jones was delirious and thrashing in the bed. She had developed a dry cough and her skin looked poor. According to her family, who visited daily, Mrs. Jones had not eaten or had anything significant to drink for several days. The family requested that a doctor examine her, and the nurse in charge said that she would leave a message for the doctor on Monday. At the insistence of one of Mrs. Clark's sons, a nurse reluctantly called an ambulance to bring Mrs. Jones to a local hospital where she was diagnosed to be in a state of severe dehydration with pneumonia. The emergency room physician explained to the family that Mrs. Jones was in very critical condition because she had not received sufficient fluids, and that the loss of fluid over the past several days had caused her vital organs, including her kidneys, to go into failure. Despite vigorous attempts to provide her with intravenous fluid replacement and intensive care monitoring, Mrs. Jones died two days later. The death certificate stated that the causes of death were dehydration and pneumonia.

The attorneys at Moquin & Daley have twenty or more years experience representing the injured or killed as a result of improper care in hospitals and nursing homes. While each case is different, and no one can promise the results in any case, we have obtained substantial settlements and judgments in cases such as this, many of them in excess of $1,000,000.00.

* Not her real name

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