New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
At some point in your life you or a loved one may need full time care in a nursing home facility. As part of the process of being admitted into a nursing home you, on your own behalf or on behalf of a loved one, may have to sign a nursing home agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of your residency in the facility. This agreement, by whatever name it may be called, e.g., admission agreement, provider agreement, or nursing home contract, is a legally binding document that governs the relationship between you and the nursing home. For that reason it is important that you become familiar with the terms and conditions in the nursing home contract for your own benefit or to protect your loved one.
Understand Your Rights
Every nursing home resident has rights that nursing homes are required to honor. These rights include, among others, access to quality medical care, the freedom from discrimination and third party payment guarantees, and a complete and understandable disclosure of the facility’s rules and regulations. You have the right to be an active participant in your care, and be informed of your treatment, and the operations of the facility in which you or a loved one are a resident. However, sometimes nursing home facilities either ignore the rights of the patients in their facility, or act in a negligent manner. To the extent you have a dispute with the facility, residents have the right to assert your grievances to the nursing home, and even government officials, without the fear of reprisal.