Practice Areas
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- DUI, Traffic and Criminal Law Defense
- Business Litigation
- Divorce
Blog 
Nursing Home Abuse
- Is the multistate nursing compact putting our Virginia elders at risk?
- Virginia nursing home supervisor refuses to take blame for abuse
- Beware sweet-talking financial abusers targeting elders in Virginia
- Eye Opening Facts about Virginia Elder Abuse & Neglect
- Questions for suspected cases of Virginia elder abuse / neglect
Firm News
Virginia Nursing Home Administrator embroiled in abuse complaints
Posted on 7/31/2010
More elder abuse scams target vulnerable Virginia citizens
Posted on 7/31/2010
This Memorial Day, Focus on Abuse of Veterans in Nursing Homes
Posted on 5/31/2010
Virginia Beach nursing home with violations will retain govn’t funding
Posted on 4/29/2010
Virginia Beach nursing home may lose Medicare and Medicaid funding
Posted on 3/31/2010
Jury awards senior $7.75 million in nursing home abuse lawsuit
Posted on 2/27/2010
Kickbacks lead to nursing home residents being prescribed drugs
Posted on 1/29/2010
Virginia Beach nurse implicated in nursing home identity theft
Posted on 1/29/2010
Cases of nursing home abuse and neglect may go up over the holiday season
Posted on 11/30/2009
Senators pushing back against DEA narcotics crackdown affecting nursing home residents
Posted on 10/31/2009
Firm Library
Nursing Home Abuse
- Suspect financial elder abuse? Your local Virginia bank teller could be an unexpected ally
- Nursing home abuse and neglect in Virginia – a bigger problem than anyone realizes
- Virginia Elder Abuse: It Can Happen Anywhere
- Fighting for the Rights of Nursing Home Residents: the Healthcare Bill Targets Elder Abuse
- Mandatory Reporting of Virginia Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect
Choosing the Right Nursing Home in Virginia
For many families, it is a difficult decision to make to place a loved one in a nursing home facility. If you are considering a nursing home for your elderly family member, choosing the right nursing home is one of the most important decisions you will make. With all of the statistics and reports regarding nursing home abuse, it can be frightening trying to choose the nursing home facility that will provide a safe environment for your loved one. To help make an informed decision regarding selecting a nursing home, the AARP has published numerous tips for family members of the elderly. These tips are summarized below.
• Obtain a list of nursing home facilities. Contact the Eldercare Locator at (800) 677-1116 to get in touch with your local Area of Agency on Aging. This agency will provide you with an extensive list of nursing homes in your area. The Area of Agency of Aging will also provide you with the contact information for the local long-term ombudsman. Even though ombudsmen cannot recommend a particular facility, they can answer specific questions about staffing, problems and administration turnover.
• Look at local nursing homes. Start your search by looking at the nursing homes closest to your home. By choosing a location that is in close proximity to your home, you can make regular visits to check on your family member’s care. Nursing home staff are aware of the residents who have frequent visitors and they are more likely to give that resident extra care.
• Stop by the nursing home unannounced. To get the best idea of how the nursing home operates, do not make an appointment. Instead, just show up at the nursing home and ask for the administrator. The administrator should be onsite, but if not, ask for the next person in charge. Find out the ratio of nursing home staff members to residents and request a copy of the staffing schedule. Look around the facility to see if it looks clean.
• Watch the nursing home residents. Residents should be in activity areas, dining rooms and outdoor areas. If you are able to see residents being changed or toileted, that is not a good sign. It means that the nursing home staff does not value their privacy. Also, be on the lookout for residents who are restrained. Some of the better nursing home facilities use restraint-free methods to help residents with special needs.
• Ask to visit the kitchen. Make sure the kitchen is clean and smells okay. You should see food properly stored on shelves, if dry goods or in the refrigerator for perishable items. Find out if there is a licensed dietician on staff and a record of resident food allergies.
• Review the recent Virginia inspection survey. This report will detail the recent violations found by inspectors. Be sure to read the report carefully and remember that even the best facilities will occasionally have some problems. If you see violations listed in the report, ask the administrator how these problems are being resolved.
Once you choose the appropriate nursing home for your family member, make regular visits. Not only will this help your loved one, you can also check on his or her care and make sure needs are being met.
If you believe your loved one has been the victim of nursing home abuse or neglect, contact the Virginia nursing home abuse attorneys at Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C. at (800) 690-0235.
Ask an Attorney
Free Consultation
Michael S. Weisberg, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Get Directions
