The use of NG, PEG and other feeding tubes can give rise to numerous complications if nursing home staff fails to properly monitor them. Common complications include aspiration pneumonia and infection. If your elderly loved one requires the use of enteral nutrition, make sure the nursing home has created a full monitoring and care program to keep your loved one healthy.
Common Preventative Measures
Fortunately, there are numerous steps nursing home staff can take to avoid common feeding tube complications, including:
- Check feeding tube position on a regular basis to avoid displacement, which could lead to infection or aspiration
- Assess the patient’s abdomen for signs of fullness or distension to avoid malabsorption of nutrients, vomiting and constipation
- Increase the patient’s elevation to avoid increased risk of aspiration
- Follow the doctor’s specific orders for rate and method of feeding to avoid diarrhea
- Monitor the patient’s weight, intake and output to avoid fluid and electrolyte imbalance
- Clean and flush the tube per instructions to avoid clogging
- Care for the tube insertion site on an ongoing basis to avoid skin irritation, leaking and infection
- Adjust bumpers and tubes as needed to account for weight gain
Review your loved one’s care plan to make sure these and other steps are in place. If you do not see a checklist to avoid feeding tube complications, ask questions immediately and request that the staff create a plan – and follow it – immediately.
Connect with The Rooth Law Firm at [847] 869-9100 or through our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case.
Why Some Nursing Homes Cannot Avoid Problems With Enteral Nutrition
Even if the above list of items seems fairly simple to implement, not all nursing homes are up to the task. This is often due to understaffed nursing homes, where there are not enough hands on deck at any given time to provide the quantity or quality assessments that patients require. In other situations, nursing homes do not have enough trained staff on hand that can identify issues or take action to prevent problems from occurring.
The best thing you can do to ensure your loved one will receive the care he or she needs and deserves is to ask questions about staffing before your loved one moves in. You should also visit often and ask your loved one about the level of care he or she receives on a daily basis. At the first sign of infection, illness or other problem, raise your voice, ask questions and demand immediate action.
Contact us at [847] 869-9100 to make arrangements to discuss your case with our attorney today.
Time to Read: About 2 minutes This information explains what you can do to prevent aspiration when you’re eating, drinking, or tube feeding. Aspiration is when food or liquid goes into your airway instead of your esophagus. Your esophagus is the tube that carries food and liquid from your mouth to your stomach. Aspiration can happen when you’re eating, drinking, or tube feeding. It can also happen when you’re vomiting [throwing up] or when you have heartburn. You may be at risk of aspiration if you have trouble swallowing. This is because food or liquid can get stuck in the back of your throat and go into your airway. Aspiration can lead to pneumonia, respiratory infections [infections in your nose, throat, or lungs], and other health problems. Signs of aspiration include: You and your
caregiver should watch for these signs before, during, and after you eat, drink, or tube feed. If you have any of these signs, stop eating, drinking, or tube feeding. Call your healthcare provider right away. Follow these guidelines to prevent aspiration when you’re eating and drinking by mouth: Figure 1. Sitting up at a 45-degree angle Follow these guidelines to prevent aspiration if you’re tube feeding: To help prevent aspiration, it’s important to pace your feedings. Follow the guidelines below during your feedings to make sure you’re not taking in more than you can digest: If you have any questions, call your Clinical Dietitian Nutritionist at
212-639-7312 or Nutrition Advanced Practice Provider [APP] at 212-639-6984. About Aspiration
Signs of aspiration
Preventing Aspiration
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When to Contact Your Healthcare Provider
Contact your healthcare provider if you have any of the following:
- Any signs of aspiration, such as coughing or gagging
- A fever of 100.4° F [38° C] or higher
- Trouble breathing
- Wheezing
- Painful breathing
- A cough with mucus
If you’re having problems breathing or any other emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room right away.
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