Nursing Home FAQ

What is the difference between a Nursing Home and an Assisted Living Facility?

The main difference between a Nursing Home and and Assisted Living Facility is the level of care someone needs. Assisted Living Facilities offer more independence to the patient, whereas Nursing Homes are geared towards those in need of constant care. There's also a difference in being asked versus being told. Nursing Homes have certain regulations in place to ensure that residents aren't neglected since most patients in their care cannot make make decisions for themselves. For example, patients have designated eating times as well as how often they eat; they are being told when to eat. Assisted Living Facilities give their patients the freedom to eat when and how often they want to.

What should you know if you're considering putting a loved on into a Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility?

Pricing: Typically, Assisted Living Facilities range from $1,000 to $3,000 a month. Nursing Homes are about the same, though Medicare and Medicaid often pay for Nursing Home care. Visit Medicare.gov to use their search engine tool for comparing price and quality of Nursing Homes. For more information on Assisted Living Facilities, visit Assistedlivinginfo.com.

Ask your loved one where they would rather be. You want them to be happy, and if they are able to choose for themselves then they'll know what's best for them.

When visiting a potential Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility, be observant. Look around and notice the care being given. If possible, talk to the residents who are able to communicate about the kind of care they're given and ask them specific questions you may have.

Research. Know how many nurses are on staff and what the law requires.

• An RN on duty 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• An LN on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Non-licensed nursing staff: Regulations don't specify a minimum level, but do require 75 hours of training and for the NAs to pass a competency exam.
• Florida requires three and a half hours of nursing time for each resident.

Visitation: Once you have chosen a Nursing Home or Assisted Living Facility, visit often and at different times of the day. People believe that residents whose families are involved receive better care and more attention.

*If you've placed your loved one in a Nursing Home and are not content with the one you've chosen, residents are eligible for Medicare reimbursement for up to the first 100 days they are there.*

What are the signs of Nursing Home abuse?

While nursing home abuse isn’t always obvious, any of the following signs of nursing home abuse should warrant further investigation:

• Unexplained bruises, cuts, burns, sprains, or fractures in various stages of healing
• Bedsores (pressure ulcers)
• Sudden changes in behavior
• Staff refusing to allow visitors to see resident or delays in allowing visitors to see resident
• Staff not allowing resident to be alone with visitor
• Resident being kept in an over-medicated state
• Loss of resident's possessions
• Sudden large withdrawals from bank accounts or changes in banking practices
• Abrupt changes in Will or other financial documents

Putting a stop to the abuse: Complain to the shift leader, the director of nursing, the administrator, the Department of Health, and the Attorney General's Office. Keep a record of your complaints.

• Report
• Contact Domnick and Shevin

Statistics:

• For every case reported, 5 more go unreported
• About 25% of all elderly adults will report abuse, totaling up to 6% of the general elderly population
• 70% of all elderly abuse is against women
• 23% of elder abuse happens in residential care
• There are about 89 patients per Nursing Home

For more reports and statistics, visit AHCA

Every nursing home abuse case is different and success often requires a dedicated team of lawyers, experts and paralegals to thoroughly investigate the incident, prove fault, identify damages and successfully argue the facts to the defendant and, when needed, to judge and jury. Selecting the right trial attorney who is experienced in proving fault and maximizing damages can make all the difference whether your claim goes to court or not.