My sister is in a nursing home, taken a fall and fractured her nose. She has also been physically abused in the same nursing home and the nursing home covered it up saying that a bruise was from her movement disorder. Since I addressed these issues she has been verbally and mentally harassed as well as our family... the point is they want us to move her out of the NH and she doesn't want to leave as it has been her home for over a year and she has made some friends in patients. I don't know what to do. Please help me with any information you can give me to protect her rights.
Those patients with balance issues will fall, it's a given. I see from your profile that your sister had a stroke, so I can understand how mobility would be difficult for her. She might be forgetting she cannot do what she did before the stroke. My Mom was the same way with her medical condition.
Who is telling you that your sister is being abused, and harassed? If it is your sister telling you, was there any memory issues involved when she had a stroke? If yes, then it is not unusual for a patient to misunderstand what is happening to them. And the fact that she wants to stay in this nursing home tells me she likes being there.
This could be a situation where the nursing home likes having your sister as a resident, but it is the family that is creating issues. Just food for thought. The fact that your family is being harassed could be the clue. Is there more than one family member with contact to the nursing home? It would be best if only the Power of Attorney is the main contact and if that person is good at remedying problems.
I'm very sorry that your sister is in this situation; but glad that she has you to act as her advocate, at least.
I wonder if the heart of the matter might be that the NH does not want your sister to stay because they can't provide the level of care and support she needs. You're already stating that she has suffered physical abuse, whereas they claim that the injuries she's sustained were the result of mobility problems, do they? What do you think they should have been doing to keep her safe that they weren't already doing?
But whether or not it's possible or desirable for her to stay living where she is, she is still entitled to be in a safe environment and protected from abuse. If you go online to Texas Health and Human Services and search "How Can I Report Abuse, Neglect or Exploitation?" you will see all the information there.