|
|
|
|
||
|
||
|
|
||
| SEARCH | SUBSCRIBE | ||
|
 |
Elderly Residents Have Rights By
Danner Evans, KPLCTV news
Living in a nursing home may be life
altering, but it isn't a death sentence. The good news is there are laws
that guarantee every resident, like Virginia LaRocca, has choices,
"As far as resident rights, I think everyone should have them...not
just were are here and we're childish. We're not children, we're adults.
It's just that we can't take care of each other." The scary part here is the response we got
from residents when we asked if they knew there is a list of their rights
their nursing homes has to follow. Mac Desselle says, "No I
didn't." Nora Demarets says, "I didn't know we had all the
rights we have!" Charmon Crusturner with the Calcasieu Council
on Aging says it's her mission to get the word out, "I try very hard
to help a resident understand that in many of their situations they have
the control. They can choose their everyday choices as opposed to being in
a routine they aren't happy with. There are choices they can make and
maintain and i think that makes them happy." That's good news and good information for
folks at area nursing homes like Leona Andres, "I think everyone
should know about these rights. These people that we don't' know what time
we'll be there, in the same position they are in and we'll have to depend
on others to do it for us." More importantly, families need to know
nursing home resident rights too. Resident Elizabeth Kleinschmidt notices
not everyone can speak for themselves. "If they don't' realize what
their rights are someone has to do it and I guess the family is the
natural one to do it.they can find out things the resident couldn't
because of their condition." Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
