Nursing home abuse can happen without anyone taking any action whatsoever -- and what we mean by that is, the phrase "nursing home abuse" does not require a nursing home staff member to physically, mentally or emotionally abuse a resident. Sometimes, nursing home abuse can happen simply because the nursing home itself is lacking in safety equipment or protocols; or maybe the staff members weren't properly trained in certain techniques, resulting in the harm or death of a resident.
To that end, a relatively recent discovery in terms of nursing home safety will likely leave you stunned. August of this year marked the first time that all nursing homes were required to have a sprinkler system.
Yes, you read that correctly: not all nursing homes had sprinkler systems as of August 2013. And even now, many nursing homes do not have adequate systems (deemed "partial" systems).
So how did it come to this? Well, in 2000, a rule was passed that said any new nursing home (or any nursing home that took on a new construction project) had to include a sprinkler system. Older nursing homes essentially had a free pass to expose their residents to a home that lacked an effective system at preventing fires.
Then, in August 2008, a new rule was passed that forced these older (and out of date) nursing homes to install sprinkler systems -- but they were given five years to comply. Hence, this past August the deadline passed, and, theoretically, every nursing home got sprinkler systems.
However, there could still be nursing homes out there that have skirted the law, or went with cheap or "partial" systems that still leave their residents at risk. How can these homes expect all of their sick and disabled residents to escape a fire, one that likely could overwhelm a building that does not have a full sprinkler system?
Source: New York Times, "Many Nursing Homes Operate Without Adequate Sprinkler Systems," Paula Span, Sept. 30, 2013
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