NURSING HOME ACCIDENTS | BACK TO PRACTICE AREAS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I. General Information about Nursing Home Injuries
II. What is a Nursing Home
III. What is Nursing Home Abuse/Neglect
         A. Types of Abuse/Neglect
         B. Signs of Abuse/Neglect
IV. Rights of Nursing Home Residents
V. What is Being Done to Protect the Elderly
VI. Filing a Complaint
VII. Legal Procedures
VIII. Conclusion

What is a Nursing Home

Of course, no matter where a loved one receives care, be it a traditional nursing home or an assisted living center, they still deserve the best possible care available. Following is a list of health care providers that perform many of the tasks previously associated with the term "nursing home."

• Hospitals: Elderly patients often are admitted to hospitals due to some type of medical emergency. Many hospitals have rehabilitation units where elderly patients can recuperate before they are discharged to a lower level of care, generally either home care or a nursing home. The hospital is where the patient and family members usually are informed that the patient will require some level of assistance. Talking with a hospital social worker, discharge planner or case manager should be your first step in determining what type of care your loved one may require after their hospital stay.
• Hospital-based Skilled Nursing Facilities: These departments within a hospital - also known as extended care facilities - provide high levels of medical and nursing care. Hospital-based skilled nursing facilities provide a short-term solution after a patient's acute hospitalization. Residents often stay in these "transitional" units because their doctors want them closer to an acute care center because of medical instability. Most doctors will discontinue their care for a resident once the resident has moved to a free-standing nursing facility.
• Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF): These are non-hospital-based medical and nursing facilities that provide 24-hour nursing supervision, with at least one supervising registered nurse on duty for at least eight hours per day under Texas law. Different states have different rules regarding how long a registered nurse must be on duty in a 24-hour span. Unlike at hospital-based SNFs, doctors at these facilities usually make rounds once per week instead of once per day.
• Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF): These facilities provide less nursing and medical services than a normal SNF because patients in an ICF usually can move around unassisted, and their conditions are not as acute as patients in a regular SNF.
• Custodial Care Facilities (CCF), Assisted Living Residences, Adult Homes, Rest Homes: These facilities are designed to provide comfortable living environments, but they do not usually provide any nursing or medical care. However, a CCF can provide medical monitoring, which consists mainly of recording medications and providing an examination room for doctor visits. Texas statutes do not require these facilities to provide formally trained nurses, although many such facilities do have licensed nurses on staff 40 hours per week because of risk management and competition issues.
• Multi-Level Facilities: These are comprehensive facilities that provide several levels of care, including skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, and assisted living residences. The combination of these levels of care can facilitate a patient's movement to a higher level of care with reduced stress due to the ease of transition.
• Veterans Nursing Homes: VA homes are skilled nursing facilities that are operated or funded by the United States Veterans Administration. These facilities provide many of the services described above, including the hospital-based skilled nursing facilities.

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DISCLAIMER: The information you obtain at our firm web site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. It is recommended that you should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.

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If you would like to schedule a free initial consultation contact an attorney representing clients in Council Bluffs, Iowa at the Luthens Law Offices, P. C.. Give us a call at (800) 685 7948 or email us at Info@luthenslaw.com.