The Nursing Home Reform Act, or Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (FNHRA), is a law that establishes national minimum standards relating to nursing home care and resident rights. It mandates that nursing home residents receive quality care and services. In doing so, the act helps minimize the risk of nursing home abuse.
Sadly, abuse is sometimes a problem in Massachusetts nursing homes. Seek legal help if a family member is the victim of such abuse. Partner with a Boston nursing home abuse lawyer. From here, your attorney will explain what the Nursing Home Reform Act entails and how it applies to the specifics of your situation.
What Is the Nursing Home Reform Act’s Purpose?
In 1987, the Nursing Home Reform Act was passed in response to reports of subpar care and abuse in nursing homes across the United States. The act shifted the focus of care at these nursing homes from facility-centered to resident-centered. In doing so, it defined the rights and care standards for nursing home residents.
The act has remained intact for nearly four decades. However, advocates continue to push for improvements. Along with this, nursing home abuse and neglect are still reported at assisted living facilities nationwide.
If you suspect nursing home abuse that impacts a family member, remember, what you do today has far-reaching effects. By getting a nursing home abuse attorney on your side, you’ll be able to take the first step to protect your loved one from further harm and get compensation from any responsible parties.
What Does the Nursing Home Reform Act Mean to You and Your Family?
The Nursing Home Reform Act impacts residents of The Boston Home, Sherrill House, and other nursing and rehabilitation centers in Boston and other Commonwealth cities and towns. Below are details about the NHRA’s key provisions.
Resident’s Bill of Rights
This guarantees nursing home residents’ rights, including freedom from abuse, restraint, and neglect, participation in care planning, communication, and the ability for residents to share their concerns with staff without fear of retaliation.
Quality of Care
Nursing homes are required to provide services focused on their residents’ physical, emotional, and psychosocial well-being. With these services, residents are well-equipped to achieve their highest level of function. They are also able to receive comprehensive assessments of their functional capacity to help nursing home staff develop personalized care plans for them.
Enforcement
Springhouse, Hale House, and other Boston nursing homes do everything within their power to keep their residents safe. Yet, if a nursing home chooses to violate the Nursing Home Reform Act, it is putting its residents in danger. Because of this, an assisted living facility likely will be subject to fines, closure, and other penalties for NHRA violations.
Consult with a personal injury lawyer with relevant nursing home abuse experience to learn more about the NHRA. If a member of your family is the victim of nursing home abuse, your lawyer will advise you to take legal action. They will hold any responsible parties liable for your loved one’s bruises, bedsores, or other trauma that they’ve suffered in a nursing home.
Does the Nursing Home Reform Act Provide the Basis for a Lawsuit?
You have the right to file a lawsuit against employees or owners of Massachusetts government-run nursing homes for FNHRA violations. If you want to sue a privately owned nursing home, you’re able to use the act to support claims of negligence, neglect, or abuse in accordance with state laws.
Meet with personal injury attorneys if you’re weighing the pros and cons of requesting compensation based on abuse or neglect that your loved one has dealt with in a nursing home. Your lawyer will give you insights into elder neglect and abuse in Boston nursing homes and determine your eligibility for filing a lawsuit.
If you proceed with a nursing home abuse lawsuit, your lawyer will guide you through the legal process. They will ask for compensation based on your loved one’s pain and suffering, medical bills, and other losses. If your attorney gets a settlement offer, they will share it with you. Of course, if you want to take your case to trial, your lawyer will support your decision to do so.
Use the Nursing Home Reform Act as Part of Your Lawsuit
The Federal Nursing Home Reform Act will not change the fact that a family member has been victimized by assisted living facility staff. On the other hand, the act will help you if you decide to move forward with a lawsuit against any liable parties.
Nursing home abuse lawyers will teach you about this act. They will build a case to prove to a court that compensation is warranted. For those who want more information about the FNHRA, Better Phone Stone®.
The team at Jason Stone Injury Lawyers has served over 15,000 clients. Our attorneys empathize with the victims of nursing home abuse and neglect and their families. We are here to help you with your case against a nursing home and offer our Stone Cold Guarantee® to anyone who works with us. Call us 24/7 to discuss your case with our team.
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