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Preventing North Carolina Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect: State?s New Rating System is Supposed to Help Families Choose Best Assisted Living Facility

North Carolina has unveiled a new nursing home rating system to help families decide which assisted living facility they should admit their elderly or sick loved one to. The new system uses 0 ? 4 stars to rate the quality of care provided at each home.

WRAL.com says 585 out of the nearly 1,300 North Carolina nursing homes have received their ratings, which takes into account personal care, building safety, nutrition, supervision, and personal care. Dozens of North Carolina nursing homes received 3-stars. An assisted living facility can only get 4-stars if its been able to maintain a clean record for three years.

Seven of the North Carolina nursing homes received 0-star ratings. Inspectors even moved 30 residents out of one of the nursing homes and revoked its license.

You can view the nursing homes? Star Ratings on the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation Web site (see below).

North Carolina Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Although state and federal ratings systems provide useful information to help you choose the best North Carolina nursing home for your loved one, it is also a good idea for you visit the assisted living facility so that you can personally evaluate the premises, the workers, and the services provided.

Not only do you want to make sure that your loved one gets the proper nursing care, but you also want to minimize the chances of abuse or neglect occurring. Nursing negligence can be detrimental to your family member?s well-being and can lead to:

? Bedsores
? Broken bones
? Bruises
? Emotional trauma
? Isolation or withdrawal
? Sexual injuries
? Wandering
? Fall accidents
? Deteriorating health
? Wrongful Death

While personally inspecting a nursing home prior to admitting your relative won?t guarantee that he or she won?t become a victim of North Carolina nursing home abuse or neglect, it can decrease the risks.

In the event that you suspect your loved one is being neglected or abused, contact our Charlotte nursing home abuse law firm immediately to explore your legal options.

State provides ratings for assisted living centers, WRAL.com, July 28, 2009

Troubles afflict adult care home, NewsObserver.com, July 16, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Star Rating Program, NC Division of Health Service Regulation

Nursing Home Compare, Medicare.gov

Full post as published by North Carolina Injury Lawyer Blog on August 06, 2009 (boomark / email).