Tips from Milwaukee Nursing Home Abuse Attorney
Know Your Rights as a Wisconsin Nursing Home Resident
On behalf of Milwaukee personal injury attorney of Domnitz & Domnitz, S.C. posted in Nursing Home Abuse on Wednesday, November 24, 2010.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has outlined the rights of every nursing home resident in the state. Every person who receives care in a nursing home has five basic rights: the right to dignity, privacy, grievances, access and self-determination. But what does that mean in practice? Let’s look at each of these basic rights.
Dignity
The right to dignity means that nursing home staff and other patients must respect you as a person. Wisconsin’s DHS specifically says that your right to dignity means that you have a right to “be free from physical, sexual, mental, verbal and financial abuse.” It also means that you have a right “to be free from chemical and physical restraints.”
Privacy
Living with many other people should not mean that you lose your privacy. The DHS states that every nursing home resident must be allowed to communicate via telephone, mail or in person with anyone they wish. Residents also have the right to receive care in privacy, and staff members must maintain confidentiality regarding patient information.
Grievances
Perhaps one of the most important rights of nursing home residents is the right to express grievances and expect prompt responses to those grievances. You can always contact nursing home staff or your attorney to express concerns about your treatment or the treatment someone you care about is receiving.
Access
Your right to access guarantees that the nursing home must provide you with information, financial freedom, and the opportunity to participate in social and religious activities. You cannot be prevented from voting, attending church services or reasonably accessing your own money.
Self-Determination
Nursing home staff has to involve you in making decisions that will affect you. You always maintain control over the type of care you receive, and you have the right to refuse treatment you do not believe benefits you.
Nursing home abuse is never ok. Residents and their family members should know their rights.
Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services “Residents’ Rights”
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