By Jeffrey J. Downey, Esq
Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) have thousands of patients who require daily monitoring of their blood sugar with sliding scale insulin. Unfortunately, when facilities have either inadequate numbers of nurses or nurses who are not properly trained, diabetic patients can suffer significant fluctuations in their blood sugar which can lead to brain injury or death.
Diabetes affects between 20% and 34% of all nursing home residents in the United States. Because most of these residents rely entirely on staff for care, improper tracking or neglected glucose monitoring frequently results in catastrophic physical injury, medical emergencies, or death. Update on the management of diabetes in long term care facilities, BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care, 2022 July 20; 10(4). Unfortunately, the number of patients with diabetes is increasing among older adults and is expected to reach 26.7 million by 2050. Id. “With government cuts to Medicaid, this means the problem of monitoring blood sugar in U.S. SNFs is only going to get worse,” explains nursing home attorney Jeffrey J. Downey.
Older patients with diabetes are at higher risk of complications including cardiovascular disease and stroke compared with patients without diabetes. In the outpatient settings, more than half of adults with diabetes are co-diagnosed with other chronic diseases, and two out of five individuals have more than four comorbid conditions (conditions that contribute to death). In addition, diabetic nephropathy is very common among older nursing home residents with diabetes as nearly half of this population has impaired glomerular filtration rate or end-stage kidney disease. This can make diabetic patients more vulnerable to other injuries or neglect and like pressure wounds or infection.
Older nursing home patients with diabetes have a threefold increased risk of being admitted to a hospital, as compared to younger people. National data reflects that half of all diabetes related hospital admissions were in older adults from the period of 2007 to 2014, with some 32 million patients with diabetes over the age of 65. Id. One of the major complications in not properly monitoring diabetes is hypoglycemia, which causes major complications, including brain damage or death. Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include confusion, dizziness, weakness or fatigue, shakiness, hunger, pale skin, tingling around the lips or fingertips and/or an accelerated heart rate
One problem contributing to poor outcomes in the US lack of standardized diabetes management for elders. However, all SNFs are skilled care nursing facilities who have a duty to carefully monitor blood sugar levels for known diabetics. Where necessary, SNFs must put in place a plan of care that involves a sliding scale of insulin administration, which adjusts the necessary insulin based on the patient’s blood sugar levels. A nursing care plan should also consider individualized nutrition, behavioral problems and any potential drug interactions based on the patient’s medication regimen. For more information on managing diabetes, click here.
Diligent monitoring and timely response requires well-trained staff with adequate time and resources, which are not always available in some nursing facilities. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a facility’s failure to properly monitor and control blood sugar levels. We handle cases in Virgina, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Contact the Law Office of Jeffrey J. Downey for a free consultation at 703-629-2400. Attorney Downey has over 35 years of experience handling malpractice claims.
Or send an email to Jdowney@jeffdowney.com
Free Initial Consultations | We Can Come To You | No Attorney’s Fees Unless We Win Your Case
Contact Information:
The Law Office of Jeffrey J. Downey, P.C.
8484 Westpark Drive
Suite 810
McLean, VA 22102
Telephone: 7036292400
Website: https://www.jeffdowney.com/
Email: Jdowney@jeffdowney.com