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Lack of cleanliness in nursing homes can be life threatening

On Behalf of | Dec 19, 2014 | Firm News |

Having to place your loved one in a nursing home is a difficult decision. While many people might look into how the residents are cared for, it is equally as important to scrutinize the food preparation methods used by nursing homes. Even if your loved one is going into an assisted living facility, it is important to ensure that proper methods are used for communal meals. 

The fact of the matter is that senior citizens usually have weakened immune systems. That means that foodborne illnesses that wouldn’t do much damage to other members of the population who have stronger immune systems can wreck havoc on a senior citizen. Death caused by infectious diarrheal disease is five times more likely in people over 74 years of age than in the age group ranked in second place. That shows just how serious simple foodborne illnesses can be for a senior citizen.

The kitchen areas in nursing homes are usually inspected infrequently. Unlike health department inspections at a restaurant, inspections in nursing homes tend to focus on total resident care instead of only looking at food safety issues.

All nursing homes must have the assistance of a dietician; however, the dietician doesn’t have to be a full-time employee. The dietician can work on a part-time basis or a consulting basis. This brings us to a very important point. It is vital that family members of nursing home residents keep a close eye on what is going on in the food preparation area of the nursing home. This means not only the cooking area, but also the food storage, food preparation area and food service area. Looking into this might clue family member into issues that are occurring.

If your family member has suffered because of foodborne illnesses, seeking compensation is possible. Learning about that right in the Kentucky can help family members to decide how to proceed.

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