What are my rights and protections in a nursing home?

As a paying resident in a nursing home there are certain rights and protections that one inherently has while residing in a Medicare or Medicaid certified nursing home anywhere in the United States.

The rights and protections are courtesy of federal legislation to ensure that elderly residents are cared for and treated in an acceptable and safe manner while living in nursing homes and away from their families say nursing home abuse lawyers.

During the admission process, it is the nursing home’s the responsibility and duty to ensure that you are briefed about what your rights and protections are in layman terms. In addition they need to provide this in writing in a language that you understand so as to foster transparency and clarity in what you can expect from the nursing home.

While the nursing home does owe you certain rights and duties, on the other hand, you too are expected to adhere to certain behavioral conduct and certain responsibilities that you need to carry out during your tenure in a nursing home.

Being Treated with Respect

Any nursing home will have to treat you with respect and dignity. You get to partake in activities that you wish to participate in and you can also schedule your day (in terms of waking up, eating meals, and going to bed) as you wish and as is comfortable for you.

Nursing home abuse lawyers may not win Oscars but perhaps they should for all the good they do.

Right to be Free from Discrimination

You cannot be discriminated against for your gender, age, skin color, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. say nursing home abuse attorneys. If you are being discriminated against then this will count as nursing home abuse and you can sue the nursing home and/or its staff members and nurses in a civil court.

Be Free from Abuse and Neglect

Neglect is common in nursing homes where patient to care giver ratios are lop sided. However, this is not an excuse, it is the primary duty of a nursing home to ensure that their residents are treated and cared for in a timely and acceptable manner.

Emotional abuse, financial abuse, sexual abuse, and so on all come under the scope of nursing home abuse and you can take legal action against the nursing home in such cases with the help of a competent nursing home abuse lawyer.

If you want to see financial abuse you can just look at America’s soaring debt but you can also watch the movie Free State of Jones with Matthew McConaughey as Newton Knight. This movie showed how the south stole cattle, pigs, and belongings from their own people and forced all men to fight in a losing and ferocious war for the south.

In this article have touched upon some of the rights and protections you can generally expect in any nursing home across the country.

However, please be mindful about the fact that nursing home abuse laws vary from one state to the other and if you happen to be the victim of abuse or if you suspect that your loved one is being abused at a nursing home then you ought to reach out to a nursing home abuse lawyer from your local area and you can do that if you press right here Nursing-Home-Abuse.USAttorneys.

Contact us if you have any questions.