Like several other states, Nevada has established laws designed to protect patients who live in nursing homes. In this state, the laws specifically ensure that every elderly individual has a sanitary place to live, a comfortable place to live, and a safe environment. All nursing homes must follow the law, ensuring that every patient has all of their individual and group needs are met. The Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division works to prevent abuse, neglect, and improper care within the state.
Nevada nursing home laws require that each individual patient receive a plan of care that covers everything including methods to facilitate treatment, timetables, objectives for treatment, and patient goals. This plan of care must be prepared by a team that includes a physician, a registered nurse, and staff at the nursing home itself. This team should also include the patient, their family members, and a legal representative to ensure all of the patient’s individual needs and requests are met.
This plan of care should be comprehensive, covering everything to do with the patient, including mental, emotional, physical, and medical needs.
The state of Nevada also has a bill that was put into law in 2011 established specific training requirements for nursing home staff. Bill (SB) 129 ensures that all facilities, nursing homes, and specialty care centers ensure that all employees and staff have been through elder abuse training. This includes direct care staff, administrators, and directors as well. Training must be undergone for existing employees as well as new hires.
According to the state of Nevada, elder abuse can be defined as any act by a caregiver on an elderly person that causes harm. There are five different types of elder abuse according to Nevada law:
All of these are defined as abuse and they would fall under the law of elder abuse in nursing homes.
Finally, the state of Nevada requires that all nursing home patients receive a proper standard of care, including the right nutrition, hygiene, and medication or medical treatments. If these issues are not handled properly, then the nursing home is failing to maintain a minimum standard of care. This can result in a neglect lawsuit or censure by the state regulations and laws surrounding the specific situation.