This paper published Shayna Slater’s article, “Mandatory Arbitration Clauses: A Sneaky Secret of Nursing Homes,” (The Legal, Feb. 9 ), and has agreed to permit this author to respond. Contrary to the premise of “Sneaky Secret,” arbitration provisions in nursing home contracts are perfectly appropriate.”
Nursing home admissions scenarios vary widely and no generalization can be made that family members are forced to wade through mountains of paperwork under extreme duress in order to have a loved one admitted to a nursing home. In truth, hospital discharge planners frequently give the family the option of several different homes to consider. Many families have the opportunity to visit multiple facilities before deciding on the right place. There are also plentiful resources on the Internet to locate and evaluate nursing homes. (See here and here)
