What are the rights of nursing home patients under federal law?
To help prevent abuse in nursing homes, the federal government has passed laws to preserve patients’ rights. More specifically, federal law guarantees the nursing home patients the right to:
- Be treated with dignity and respect
- Participate in the planning of their care
- Refuse certain treatments
- Be informed of the services the facility provides and their costs
- Choose their own physician and pharmacy
- Know about all medical care options and conditions
- Be informed about policies and procedures
- Use their clothing and possessions.
- Manage their personal finances
- Not be subjected to abusive treatment of any form, including physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or neglect
- Not be restrained for punishment or convenience
- Stay at a nursing home as long as the facility is capable of providing medical care, payments are made promptly, and the facility is still in operation
- Be able to speak freely about unsatisfactory care
- Have visitors
- Have privacy