Virginia Medical Malpractice Blog - Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C.

New Nursing Home Guidelines Focus on Quality of Life

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just issued new guidelines aimed to improve the quality of life for nursing home patients.  The guidelines call for added focus on making the nursing homes more "home-like" and feel less like an institution.  For example, nursing homes should eliminate overhead pages and allow residents to choose their own daily schedule.  The bottom line is that nursing homes should treat their residents with dignity. 

A copy of the new guidelines can be read in our online library by clicking here. 

My take: This is a positive step, but far more needs to be done.  Our population is aging and more of us will be spending at least part of our "golden years" in a nursing home.  Nursing homes should be places where residents are well cared for, provided with stimulating activities, and are treated with respect.  Nursing home residents should not have to fear being neglected and deprived of their basic rights. 

In our experience, far too many nursing home patients spend their final days suffering from dehydration, malnutrition, and pressure ulcers.  If you believe a loved one is a victim of nursing home abuse or neglect in Virginia please call us at (804) 288-1661 or click here to email us. We represent clients throughout Virginia including in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Charlottesville, Hampton Roads, and northern Virginia.