The Nursing Home Reform Act
The Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 requires that nursing homes
and long-term care facilities that receive federal funds must
provide for each resident, care that promotes maintenance or
enhancement of quality of life. In addition, nursing home residents
have a right to "a dignified existence, self-determination,
and communication with and access to persons and services inside
and outside of the facility."
Many states also require nursing homes to meet state standards
on the type and quality of care required for residents. Unfortunately,
even with extensive regulation, a 1998 U.S. General Accounting
Office report cited nearly one-third of California's nursing
homes for serious or potentially life-threatening problems. There
is no reason to believe that the situation in California is any
different from that in other state.
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