Nursing Home Residents Have Rights To Be Safe And Secure

Giving up their freedom to live in nursing or residential care facilities can be difficult for Pennsylvania residents. Aside from not having the comforts of one’s own home, a person must be able to trust the individuals and institution that have agreed to manage their care. Building this trust can be difficult, especially when egregious cases of nursing home abuse are reported at facilities throughout the nation.

However, in order to help individuals feel secure in their new homes nursing home residents are given certain rights to retain their own dignity and control over their affairs. For example, a nursing home resident has the right to see their family members and advocates during their stay in their facility. They have the right to choose their own doctors and to refuse treatments that they do not want to submit to.

Nursing home residents should never fear that they will be punished or retaliated against if they try to bring up problems they are having with their facilities. When they do have complaints, their grievances should be taken seriously and should be investigated to find a solution to the resident’s concerns. These are only some of the rights that nursing home residents should enjoy.

In essence, nursing home residents have rights to be treated with respect, care, and kindness. They are entitled to live free of abuse and neglect when they must relinquish their independence and move into facilities to support their care. When they suffer mistreatment and injustice at the hands of their caregivers, they may have rights to seek the recovery of their damages and recompense for the harm they have been forced to endure.