The laws regarding nursing home abuse in Arizona are in place to help protect the health and rights of the residents in these facilities. Residents of the homes need to be treated with a certain standard dignity and respect according to the nursing home laws in the state. Residents and their family members who feel that any type of mistreatment has occurred at the home are able to submit their grievances without fear of retaliation from the facility. Residents and their representatives also have the right to get in touch with the long-term care ombudsman in Arizona for more help.
The laws require that the resident rights are posted in the facility and that they are in a place that is easy to see. The residents or their representatives need to have a copy of the rights provided to them when they go to the facility. Some of the rights provided to the residents of nursing homes in the state include the following:
All of the facilities need to have a director of nursing. They need to hire the correct number and type of staff for their particular facility. Facility directors also need to ensure that all of the residents receive proper and individual care.
Residents need to have personalized resident care plans coordinated with an RN and an interdisciplinary team within 14 days of admission to the facility. Reviews and updates to the plan need to occur within one year, or whenever there is a change in health for the resident.
A registered dietician needs to review the menus at the facility, and they need to ensure that they meet the nutritional requirements of each of the residents. The facility needs to have menu plans at least one week in advance, and those menus need to include the foods served each day.
The facilities in the state need to meet certain standards in order to operate. They need to have sufficient space for their residents and they need to fulfill the following criteria:
A long-term care ombudsman will be able to help protect residents of nursing homes and to ensure they have their rights met. All those who are in nursing homes and who are considering homes are able to use the services of the ombudsman. They can provide help in a number of areas including: