When older family members can no longer take care of themselves, or if you can no longer care for them in your home, you might choose to place them in a nursing home.
Arkansas Nursing Home Residents’ Rights
When your older loved one decides to enter a long-term care facility, or when you help them make that decision for their best interests, you should know what rights they have when they’re there. You might think they lose some of their freedoms by living at a nursing home, but that’s not the case. Under Arkansas Law, they are afforded the freedom to remain in control of their lives and the care they receive. There are many rights that your loved one has in their nursing home under Arkansas Law, but here are some of the most important rights you should be aware of. A long-term care resident has the right to:
- Be fully informed of their rights and responsibilities as a resident
- Know all the charges they will incur
- Choose their physician and pharmacist
- Be fully informed of their health status and medical conditions
- Refuse treatment
- Voice any grievances or concerns about the facility
- Exercise their own religious beliefs
- Manage their finances
- Be free from any abuse
- Be free from physical or chemical restraint
- Have privacy for personal needs and with visitors
- Participate in activities inside and outside of the facility
- Keep their possessions
- Live in a clean environment
These are just the basic, most essential rights listed for residents in El Dorado, and there are many more that must be followed to ensure your elderly loved one maintains their freedom inside their nursing home. If you feel their rights might have been violated, you should first speak with your family member and then with the staff. If they don’t help you resolve the issue, you might have grounds for a claim. One of our El Dorado, AR, nursing home abuse lawyers can help you and your loved one defend their rights and get them justice.