We take it for granted, but eating and swallowing food is a big deal for our health. How we swallow matters and for elderly Florida nursing home residents, it can be a life or death manner. If a nursing home resident is neglected or given the wrong kind of food, it can result in an aspiration choking wrongful death lawsuit.
Swallowing and Aspiration - How it Works
Normal Swallowing Function
When we chew our food and swallow it, the food matter gets liquified and is moved down the throat. This is referred to as the pharyngeal phase. During this process, the larynx automatically closes and your lungs temporarily stop breathing. This automatic reaction is a natural failsafe that prevents food and liquid from infiltrating the lungs and the trachea.
Aspiration
The aspiration process is a failure of the above eating/swallowing process. Aspiration begins when bacteria enters the lungs due to a failure of the swallowing mechanism. This can have grave health consequences, including aspirational pneumonia and death. Treatment of aspirational pneumonia includes antibiotics and breathing machine assistance. If the aspiration is not caught soon enough, it can lead to a patient aspirating and dying.
Nursing Home Aspiration Death Lawsuit
If your loved one wrongfully died as a result of a nursing home aspiration, speak with a Florida nursing home neglect lawyer today to learn about your legal rights. Call us at 561-316-7207 to get a free case consultation today.
Aspiration death cases against nursing homes can be valued in the hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the preventable manner of the wrongful death.