Placing someone you love into a nursing home is a very stressful situation. Even though in your heart, you know you’re doing the right thing, it can still be difficult. Quite often, people sign a mountain of paperwork, and don’t realize that they’re signing their legal rights away at the same time. This has been the case up until recently.

Arbitration was the way most cases of nursing home neglect and even abuse have been handled for several years, which meant that nursing homes have been able to drive down the cost of their legal fees. However, a new federal law has changed that, making a way for families and elderly victims to bring their cases to court.

An article in the New York Times describes a situation that should have been brought to court. A 100-year-old woman who was a resident at a nursing home was found strangled at the hands of her roommate. This murder was handled through arbitration, which denied the family the justice they deserved.

Perhaps you have a loved one in a nursing home, and you suspect that elder abuse has taken place. If that’s the case, please know that you and your family member both have rights that should be protected, and a St. Louis nursing home neglect attorney can help you. Contact us, your St. Louis nursing home neglect attorneys, to find out more about how to proceed.