Nursing Home Reform Act & Basic Resident Rights
- October 11, 2016
- Attorney David Mann
- Nursing Home Injuries
Thirty years ago, a study by the Institute of Medicine concluded that residents of nursing homes were being subjected to neglect, abuse, and inadequate care. Many of the subsequent reforms that were proposed were included in the Nursing Home Reform Act, which became law in 1987. The Act was intended to help nursing home patients receive quality care so that they could achieve or maintain their "highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being.” Fundamentally, this means that residents should not experience a decline in their health as a result of the way they were provided treatment. With the majority of nursing home care paid for with federal funds, compliance with the Act was fostered by making it a prerequisite for rec...