What can be done to minimize the risk of Arizona nursing home neglect and abuse?

1. On admission, review your loved one’s medical condition with the Director of Nursing and the nurses.
2. On admission, review your loved one’s medications with the Director of Nursing and the nurses.
3. On admission, review your loved one’s food preferences with the Dietitian or Dietary Manager.
4. On a weekly basis, check your loved one’s skin, on the areas of his or her body (such as buttocks, heels, hips, and shoulders) coming into contact with the mattress or the seat of a wheelchair, for bed sores.
5. Have your loved one weighed weekly (in your presence). Determine whether your loved one is well hydrated and well nourished.

Please note: Oftentimes, nursing homes require that you or your loved one sign an agreement to arbitrate which can impact or eliminate important rights that you or your loved one might have to seek legal redress, including waiving your right to a jury trial. These agreements may not be conspicuous, and may be hidden in a clause in the boilerplate language. Nursing Homes sometimes present these to you at the time of admission, or even after your loved one has been in the facility for a period of time. You have no obligation to sign these agreements in exchange for nursing care.