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Wandering: The ability of a nursing home resident to move about within the nursing home aimlessly and/or without a rational purpose or appreciation of personal safety needs.

Waiver: Knowing and voluntary relinquishment, or release, of a right.

Willful Negligence: Intentional performance of an unreasonable act in disregard of a known risk, that causes harm. There is no clear distinction between willful negligence and gross negligence.

Writ: A court order requiring the performance of some act or giving authority to have the act done.

Wrongful Death Action: An action brought to recover damages for the death of a person caused by a wrongful act or neglect or unlawful violence or negligence of another; provided that no recovery for the same damages claimed in the wrongful death action was obtained by the deceased during his lifetime.

Wrongful Death Statute: Statutory law that provides the representative of a decedent to bring suit alleging that the decedent's death was caused by someone's negligent act and to seek compensation for monetary loss suffered.