Nursing Home Patient’s Rights

The following is a summary of nursing home patient’s rights paraphrased from Florida Statute § 400.022:

All nursing homes facilities must make public a statement of the rights and responsibilities of the residents of such facilities. The statement must include:

(a) The right to civil and religious liberties;

(b) The right to private and uncensored communication, including flexible visiting hours;

(c) Any provider of health, social, legal, or other services to a resident has the right to have reasonable access to the resident;

(d) The right to make complaints to the staff or administrator of the facility, to governmental officials, or to any other person;

(e) The right to organize and participate in resident groups in the facility;

(f) The right to participate in social, religious, and community activities that do not interfere with the rights of other residents;

(g) The right to examine, upon reasonable request, the results of the most recent inspection of the facility and any plan of correction in effect with respect to the facility;

(h) The right to manage financial affairs or to delegate such responsibility to the licensee;

(i) The right to be informed of services offered by the facility and of the charges for such services;

(j) The right to be informed of medical conditions and proposed treatment, the right to participate in medical decisions, including the right to refuse medication and treatment;

(k) The right to refuse medication or treatment and to be informed of the consequences of such decisions;

(l) The right to receive appropriate health care and protective and support services, including social services; mental health services, if available; planned recreational activities; and rehabilitative services;

(m) The right to have privacy; to close room doors, to have facility personnel knock before entering the room, and to security in storing and using personal possessions;

(n) The right to be treated courteously and with the fullest measure of dignity;

(o) The right to be free from abuse, corporal punishment, extended involuntary seclusion, and from physical and chemical restraints;

(p) The right to be transferred or discharged only for medical reasons and the right to be given reasonable advance notice of no less than 30 days of any involuntary transfer or discharge;

(q) The right to freedom of choice in selecting a personal physician; and to obtain pharmaceutical supplies and services from a pharmacy of the resident's choice;

(r) The right to retain and use personal clothing and possessions as space permits;

(s) The right to have copies of the rules and regulations of the facility;

(t) The right to receive notice before the room of the resident in the facility is changed;

and

21. The right to be informed of the bed reservation policy for hospitalization.

If you believe your nursing home rights have been violated by a Florida nursing home or assisted living facility, please contact us to discuss your situation in more detail. If we accept your nursing home case, you will pay us nothing unless we make a recovery for you.