As many families are aware, choosing a nursing home for your aging family member can seem like a daunting task. There are many variables one must take into consideration. The most important is to avoid a situation where a loved one may be subjected to nursing home neglect or even Pittsburgh nursing home abuse. The elderly do have rights when it comes to residing at a nursing home and it is good for the resident and the family to be aware of their individual rights.
According to federal guidelines, each nursing home or care facility must develop and implement written policies and procedures prohibiting mistreatment, neglect, or abuse of residents. These policies are the guidelines to how it’s residents will be treated. It would be a great idea to read over the policies and guidelines in order to get a feel for how a nursing home would handle a situation of abuse or neglect. How the nursing home acts in order to prohibit these behaviors is indicative of how the residents will be treated.
Other rights that the resident of the nursing home is entitled to include right to see family members or legal representatives, right to privacy of medical records, and right to apply for Medicare if the resident so wishes. The employees of a nursing home is not allowed to discriminate against residents for being a part of a Medicare or not. The residents also have a right to use their personal clothes and possessions unless is poses a risk to their well-being. These are just some of the many rights residents of Pittsburgh nursing homes are entitled to.
The bottom line is residents of care facilities are entitled to every right that any other person would be entitled to in other situations. The only difference is the elderly require a level of care that some other people may not. These persons should not be discriminated against or forgotten. They need to be respected and given the high-level of care they deserve.
Source: findaw.com, “Legal Rights of Nursing Home Residents,” Accessed May 26, 2015