An 86-year-old man was brought to the local emergency room with a high fever in a dehydrated state from a local long-term care facility

An 86-year-old man was brought to the local emergency room with a high fever in a dehydrated state from a local long-term care facility. His weight of 94 lbs. was well below the expected weight for a person with his height and bone frame. Contractures of the extremities were noted. Two stage-four decubitus ulcers were noted (each above the bony prominence of the hip on the right and left sides).

a. Name three issues in the history of this patient as told above that point to a possible case of patient neglect.

b. What was not done to prevent the formation of the ulcers?

c. What blood test can be done to ascertain the nutritional status of this man over the past two months?

d. What can we look for in the medical record that could point to neglect being a cause of this person’s current condition?