Nursing Home Abuse: Lawsuits or Arbitration

Some nursing homes are requiring families of patients to agree to mandatory arbitration instead of lawsuits if the need arises.

A few senators think that it gives nursing homes a free pass without repercussions to provide inadequate care. Nursing homes argue that it saves them from costly lawsuits. Often the arbitration group is chosen by the nursing home further tipping the scales of fairness away from the family.

If two senators have their way, this will be reversed in order to make way for the Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act to make nursing homes more accountable. What about the man whose father died from a blood infection caused by 14 bedsores? Preposterous? Not this for this family.

Will the two senators be able to convince others to get the Act passed? Stay tuned. In the meantime, a web-based rating system for nursing homes is in the works and should be finished by year end.

Source: Greenbay Press Gazette