There were approx. 67,000 people living in licensed nursing homes in Florida in 2022. Most provide the level of care that we all want for our loved ones.
Most, but not all.
NURSING HOME RESPONSIBILITIES, PATIENTS’ RIGHTS AND RECOURSE:
Licensed Nursing homes are regulated by the AHCA (Agency for Health Care Administration). The AHCA publishes a guideline and its annual inspection report. You can find it here.
Yet despite the oversight, nursing home negligence is a serious issue that can have devastating consequences for residents and their families. Human Rights Watch estimates that 1 in 6 elderly people suffer some form of negligence or abuse. And that was before Covid.
Some of these negligent facilities have been found to have inadequate staffing, poor training, and a lack of oversight.
In 2018, Florida passed a new law aimed at addressing nursing home negligence. The law requires nursing homes:
- To have backup generators capable of maintaining comfortable temperatures for at least 96 hours in the event of a power outage.
- Requires nursing homes to have a sufficient number of staff members on duty at all times
- It establishes new penalties for facilities that fail to meet these requirements.
NURSING HOME RESIDENTS’ RIGHTS:
Nursing home residents in Florida have certain rights that are protected under state and federal law that can be found in this Patient’s ‘Bill of Rights’ here.
In addition to these rights, nursing home residents in Florida also have the right to:
- A safe and clean living environment
- Adequate and appropriate medical care,
- Access to social services and activities.
- Receive visitors at reasonable times
- Have access to religious services and spiritual support.