New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 8 - HEALTH
Chapter 39 - STANDARDS FOR LICENSURE OF LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
Subchapter 4 - MANDATORY RESIDENT RIGHTS
Section 8:39-4.1 - Resident rights

1. To retain the services of a physician or advanced practice nurse the resident chooses, at the resident's own expense or through a health care plan;

2. To have a physician or advanced practice nurse explain to the resident, in language that the resident understands, his or her complete medical condition, the recommended treatment, and the expected results of the treatment, except when the physician deems it medically inadvisable to give such information to the resident and records the reason for such decision in the resident's medical record; and provides an explanation to his or her next of kin or guardian;

3. To participate, to the fullest extent that the resident is able, in planning his or her own medical treatment and care;

4. To refuse medication and treatment after the resident has been informed, in language that the resident understands, of the possible consequences of this decision. The resident may also refuse to participate in experimental research, including the investigations of new drugs and medical devices. The resident shall be included in experimental research only when he or she gives informed, written consent to such participation;

5. To be free from physical and mental abuse and/or neglect;

6. To be free from chemical and physical restraints, unless they are authorized by a physician or advanced practice nurse for a limited period of time to protect the resident or others from injury. Under no circumstances shall the resident be confined in a locked room or restrained for punishment, for the convenience of the nursing home staff, or with the use of excessive drug dosages;

7. To manage his or her own finances or to have that responsibility delegated to a family member, an assigned guardian, the nursing home administrator, or some other individual with power of attorney. The resident's authorization must be in writing, and must be witnessed in writing;

8. To receive a written statement or admission agreement describing the services provided by the nursing home and the related charges. Such statement or admission agreement must be in compliance with all applicable State and Federal laws. This statement or agreement must also include the nursing home's policies for payment of fees, deposits, and refunds. The resident shall receive this statement or agreement prior to or at the time of admission, and afterward whenever there are any changes;

9. To receive a quarterly written account of all resident's funds and itemized property that are deposited with the facility for the resident's use and safekeeping and of all financial transactions with the resident, next of kin, or guardian. This record shall also show the amount of property in the account at the beginning and end of the accounting period, as well as a list of all deposits and withdrawals, substantiated by receipts given to the resident or his or her guardian;

10. To have daily access during specified hours to the money and property that the resident has deposited with the nursing home. The resident also may delegate, in writing, this right of access to his or her representative;

11. To live in safe, decent, and clean conditions in a nursing home that does not admit more residents than it can safely accommodate while providing adequate nursing care;

12. To be treated with courtesy, consideration, and respect for the resident's dignity and individuality;

13. To receive notice of an intended transfer from one room to another within the facility or a change in roommate, including a right to an informal hearing with the administrator prior to the transfer as well as a written statement of the reasons for such transfer. The nursing home shall not move the resident to a different bed or room in the facility if the relocation is arbitrary and capricious. A transfer would not be considered arbitrary and capricious if a facility can document a clinical necessity for relocating the resident, such as a need for isolation or to address behavior management problems, or there is a hardship to an applicant for admission through a delay caused by inefficient distribution of beds by gender;

14. To wear his or her own clothes, unless this would be unsafe or impractical. All clothes provided by the nursing home shall fit in a way that is not demeaning to the resident;

15. To keep and use his or her personal property, unless this would be unsafe, impractical, or an infringement on the rights of other residents. The nursing home shall take precautions to ensure that the resident's personal possessions are secure from theft, loss, and misplacement;

16. To have physical privacy. The resident shall be allowed, for example, to maintain the privacy of his or her body during medical treatment and personal hygiene activities, such as bathing and using the toilet, unless the resident needs assistance for his or her own safety;

17. To have reasonable opportunities for private and intimate physical and social interaction with other people, including arrangements for privacy when the resident's spouse visits. If the resident and his or her spouse are both residents of the same nursing home, they shall be given the opportunity to share a room, unless this is medically inadvisable, as documented in their records by a physician or advanced practice nurse;

18. To confidential treatment of information about the resident. Information in the resident's records shall not be released to anyone outside the nursing home without the resident's approval, unless the resident transfers to another health care facility, or unless the release of the information is required by law, a third-party payment contract, or the New Jersey State Department of Health and Senior Services;

19. To receive and send mail in unopened envelopes, unless the resident requests otherwise. The resident also has a right to request and receive assistance in reading and writing correspondence unless it is medically contraindicated, and documented in the record by a physician or advanced practice nurse;

20. To have unaccompanied access to a telephone at a reasonable hour to conduct private conversations, and, if technically feasible, to have a private telephone in his or her living quarters at the resident's own expense;

21. To stay out of bed as long as the resident desires and to be awakened for routine daily care no more than two hours before breakfast is served, unless a physician recommends otherwise and specifies the reasons in the resident's medical record;

22. To receive assistance in awakening, getting dressed, and participating in the facility's activities, unless a physician or advanced practice nurse specifies reasons in the resident's medical record;

23. To meet with any visitors of the resident's choice between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. daily. If the resident is critically ill, he or she may receive visits at any time from next of kin or a guardian, unless a physician or advanced practice nurse documents that this would be harmful to the resident's health;

24. To take part in nursing home activities, and to meet with and participate in the activities of any social, religious, and community groups, as long as these activities do not disrupt the lives of other residents;

25. To leave the nursing home during the day with the approval of a physician or advanced practice nurse and with the resident's whereabouts noted on a sign-out record. Arrangements may also be made with the nursing home for an absence overnight or longer;

26. To refuse to perform services for the nursing home;

27. To request visits at any time by representatives of the religion of the resident's choice and, upon the resident's request, to attend outside religious services at his or her own expense. No religious beliefs or practices shall be imposed on any resident;

28. To participate in meals, recreation, and social activities without being subjected to discrimination based on age, race, religion, sex, nationality, or disability. The resident's participation may be restricted or prohibited only upon the written recommendation of his or her physician or advanced practice nurse;

29. To organize and participate in a resident council that presents residents' concerns to the administrator of the facility. A resident's family has the right to meet in the facility with the families of other residents in the facility;

30. To discharge himself or herself from the nursing home by presenting a release signed by the resident. If the resident is an adjudicated mental incompetent, the release must be signed by his or her next of kin or guardian;

31. To be transferred or discharged only for one or more of the following reasons, with the reason for the transfer or discharge recorded in the resident's medical record:

32. To receive written notice at least 30 days in advance when the nursing home requests the resident's transfer or discharge, except in an emergency. Written notice shall include the name, address, and telephone number of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, and shall also be provided to the resident's next of kin or guardian 30 days in advance;

33. To be given a written statement of all resident rights as well as any additional regulations established by the nursing home involving resident rights and responsibilities. The nursing home shall require each resident or his or her guardian to sign a copy of this document. In addition, a copy shall be posted in a conspicuous, public place in the nursing home. Copies shall also be given to the resident's next of kin and distributed to staff members. The nursing home is responsible for developing and implementing policies to protect resident rights;

34. To retain and exercise all the constitutional, civil, and legal rights to which the resident is entitled by law. The nursing home shall encourage and help each resident to exercise these rights; and

35. To voice complaints without being threatened or punished. Each resident is entitled to complain and present his or her grievances to the nursing home administrator and staff, to government agencies, and to anyone else without fear of interference, discharge, or reprisal. The nursing home shall provide each resident and his or her next of kin or guardian with the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the government agencies to which a resident can complain and ask questions, including the Department and the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. These names, addresses, and telephone numbers shall also be posted in a conspicuous place near every public telephone and on all public bulletin boards in the nursing home.