With many of the baby-boomer generation hitting an age that may require additional care, many Pittsburgh residents are turning to nursing homes as a solution for long-term care. Whether a medical condition or cognitive ability has left elderly Pittsburgh residents in need of care, nursing homes are available to fill that void. Scarily enough, some nursing homes do not treat their patients in a way that is appropriate. Mistreatment can lead to nursing home neglect injury or even death.
Thankfully, nursing home residents do have rights under Pittsburgh state laws and federal actions affecting the entire nation. Rights of Pittsburgh nursing home residents include the right to certain standards of care, to be involved in treatment decisions, to be informed about potential sources of financial assistance and other rights affecting day-to-day life in a nursing care facility. The first step to achieving reparation for wrongs affecting a loved one in a nursing home is understanding that these nursing home residents do have rights under the law. The next step is applying the laws to the injured resident’s specific situation.
A few of the big rights reserved for nursing home residents include the following: visitation, right to care information and a right to file grievances to name a few. All nursing home residents are allowed visitation from loved ones and friends and even lawyers and state representative may visit a nursing home resident. Right to care information means that the resident has a right to receive the reasoning behind the nursing home’s care plan. Finally, A nursing home resident has the right to file grievances or complaints against the nursing home without fear of retaliation.
If any of these, or other inherent rights, have been violated at a nursing home there is a problem. If the violation of rights directly led to injuries related to neglect, abuse or mistreatment the injured should collect. Families may not know where to turn after such a terrible situation. Understand that the rights for nursing home residents are in place to protect them if used accordingly.
Source: elder.findlaw.com, “Rights of Nursing Home Residents,” Accessed Jan. 4, 2016