SUMMARY OF THE FLORIDA
 NURSING HOME RESIDENT'S BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 400.022 of the Florida Statutes provides the following rights for nursing home residents:

(a)     The right to civil and religious liberties, including knowledge of available choices and the right to independent personal decision.

(b)     The right to private and uncensored communication, including, but not limited to, receiving and sending unopened correspondence, access to a telephone, visiting with any person of the resident's choice during visiting hours, and overnight visitation out­side the facility with family and friends.

(c)     Any entity or individual that provides health, social, legal, or other services to a resi­dent has the right to have reasonable access to the resident.  The resident has the right to deny or withdraw consent to access at any time by any entity or individual.

(d)     The right to present grievances on behalf of himself or herself or others 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 and the right to have the resident's family meet in the facility with the families of other residents.

(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 conducted by a federal or state agency and any plan of correction in effect with respect to the facility.

(h)     The right to manage his or her own financial affairs or to delegate such responsibility to the licensee, but only to the extent of the funds held in trust by the licensee for the resident.

(i)      The right to be fully informed, in writing and orally, prior to or at the time of admis­sion and during his or her stay, of services available in the facility and of related charges for such services.

(j)      The right to be adequately informed of his or her medical condition and proposed treatment, unless the resident is determined to be unable to provide informed consent under Florida law.

(k)     The right to refuse medication or treatment and to be informed of the consequences of such decisions, unless determined unable to provide informed consent under state law.

(1)     The right to receive adequate and appropriate health care and protective and support services, including social services; mental health services.

(m)     The right to have privacy in treatment and in caring for personal needs, to close room doors and to have facility personnel knock before entering the room except in the case of an emergency or unless medically contraindicated.

(n)      The right to be treated courteously, fairly, and with the fullest measure of dignity and to receive a written statement and an oral explanation of the services provided by the licensee.