Minnesota Administrative Rules
Agency 144 - Health Department
Chapter 4658 - NURSING HOMES
RESIDENT RIGHTS
Part 4658.0200 - POLICIES CONCERNING RESIDENTS

Subpart 1. Visitors.

A nursing home must provide access to a resident by relatives and guardians, and to any entity or individual that provides health, social, legal, advocacy, or religious services to the resident, subject to the resident's right to deny or withdraw consent at any time. A nursing home must also provide access to others who are visiting the resident with the resident's consent. A nursing home may restrict visits when the visits pose a health or safety risk to a resident or otherwise violate a resident's rights.

Subp. 2. Telephones.

A nursing home must provide at least one non-coin-operated telephone which is accessible to residents at all times in case of emergency. A resident must have access to a telephone at a convenient location within the building for personal use. A nursing home may charge the resident for actual long distance charges that the resident incurs.

Subp. 3. Mail.

A resident must receive mail unopened unless the resident or the resident's legal guardian, conservator, representative payee, or other person designated in writing by the resident has requested in writing that the mail be reviewed. The outgoing mail must not be censored.

Subp. 4. Funds and possessions.

A nursing home may not handle the personal major business affairs of a resident without written legal authorization by the resident or the resident's legal guardian, conservator, representative payee, or other person designated in writing by the resident.

Subp. 5. Smoking in bed.

A resident must not be permitted to smoke in bed unless the resident's condition requires that the resident remain in bed, and the smoking is directly supervised by a staff member.

Subp. 6. Permitted smoking.

Smoking is permitted in the nursing home only as provided by Minnesota Statutes, sections 16B.24, subdivision 9, and 144.411 to 144.417.

Subp. 7. Pet animals.

Pet animals may be kept on the premises of a nursing home only according to part 4638.0200.