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Nursing Homes, Retirement Homes, Assisted Living Facilities
Nursing home abuse occurs when a resident of a nursing home is physically abused, raped or sexually assaulted, over-sedated, or verbally and/or emotionally abused. Abuse can be hard to detect, since many nursing home residents have trouble communicating and may not have family support.
Neglect can mean a variety of things, including failure to:
- provide clean and adequate clothing
- provide medical care for both physical and mental health needs
- protect the resident from health and safety hazards
- protect an individual from abuse from other residents
- prevent malnutrition and dehydration
Federal laws were established in 1987 to help ensure that residents of nursing homes receive quality care. Specifically:
- Nursing homes which receive Medicare and Medicaid funding are certified to meet the criteria established under a portion of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987. Residents must be cared for in a manner that promotes the maintenance or enhancement of the quality of life of each.
- Residents’ rights concerning, for example, choice, privacy, safety and autonomy. Federal regulations require that nursing homes must protect and promote the rights and overall care of each resident.
- Penalties that may be imposed for failure to follow the regulations including training, monitoring and monetary penalties.
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