Choking and Suffocation Are Leading Risks for Seniors in Long-Term Care

Muscle strength naturally declines with age, making chewing and swallowing food increasingly difficult and raising the risk of choking. Among people aged 65 and older, the risk of death by choking and suffocation is eight times greater than for other age groups.

Nursing homes can and should take precautions to reduce the risk of choking, such as making appropriate dietary choices and cutting food into smaller pieces. Failure to take these preventative steps threatens resident safety and could constitute nursing home negligence.

Why Are Nursing Home Residents More Likely to Choke?

Some nursing home residents are at increased risk of choking due to medical conditions or physical limitations that can affect their ability to chew and swallow safely. Inadequate supervision or failure to provide appropriate food can turn an ordinary meal into a life-threatening situation.

Medical Conditions

Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is a common yet often overlooked symptom of aging. Medical conditions like dementia, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease can cause dysphagia and make it more difficult to move food from the mouth and throat into the esophagus during the swallowing process.

Poorly Fitting Dentures

Good dental health is critical for chewing and swallowing food. Missing teeth, poorly fitting dentures, and other oral diseases can cause dysphagia and result in gagging, choking, or suffocation.

Lying Down While Eating

Some nursing home residents have medical conditions that may prevent them from sitting up while eating. Eating without maintaining a proper body position can make swallowing more difficult, increasing the risk of choking and suffocation.

Food Texture

The texture of food can play an important role in an individual’s ability to chew and swallow food. Nursing homes can chop, mince, or puree food to make swallowing easier and reduce the risk of choking and suffocation.

Dry Mouth

Some medications and medical conditions can cause dry mouth. A lack of saliva can make it harder to break down food during chewing, allowing it to become stuck in the throat.

What Are Common Causes of Choking in Nursing Homes?

Nursing home residents can choke on items other than food, such as medicine or medical devices like thermometers, tubes, and oral sponges. Nursing home staff should take reasonable, consistent steps to reduce the risk of choking. They should screen all residents for dysphagia and train nursing home staff in proper supervision and feeding techniques. Nursing homes must also address chronic understaffing, which can result in staff failing to supervise residents or rushing them through a meal.

How Can Nursing Homes Prevent Choking?

Nursing homes should evaluate every resident’s feeding needs as part of their care plan. To reduce the likelihood of choking, the care plan should address:

• Food preferences
• Recommended food textures
• Type of diet
• Thickness of liquids
• How the resident should be positioned while eating
• Protocols for adapted eating
• An oral care plan
• The need for assistance during meal times

In addition, nursing home staff should observe the following precautions during mealtimes:

• Use only foods and utensils that were identified in the resident care plan
• Ensure dentures are properly affixed during mealtimes
• Do not leave the resident unsupervised while eating
• Avoid distractions like watching TV while eating
• When necessary, remind the resident to eat slowly and swallow
• Do not force-feed a resident or rush them to finish a meal
• Know and follow the facility’s choking protocols

Holding Nursing Homes Accountable for Choking Deaths

Nursing homes are responsible for their resident’s well-being and have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to prevent choking and suffocation. If your loved one died or experienced long-term effects from choking, such as brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen, you may be entitled to compensation.

The experienced personal injury attorneys at Muth Law, P.C., offer free consultations to Michigan families regarding claims for choking or suffocation in nursing homes. We can evaluate your situation and explain your options if your loved one was injured or killed due to nursing home neglect.

Contact Muth Law Today

Muth Law is based in Ann Arbor and represents injured people in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, and throughout Michigan. Please contact us to schedule a free, confidential consultation to discuss your nursing home injury matter. Call 734-481-8800 or contact us via e-mail. We look forward to serving your family.