How Much Do You Know About Resident Rights in Skilled Nursing?

At Brunswick Cove, we are dedicated to treating all our residents with the care, respect and dignity they deserve. We have a deep respect for resident rights in our skilled nursing, and everything we do is centered around their health and well-being. We encourage you to witness this yourself and take the next step to schedule a tour and contact us.

We do believe that it is important that every resident be aware of their resident rights in a skilled nursing facility. Understanding how these affect and protect you is both empowering and comforting.

Therefore, we’ll review some of these resident rights, and we encourage you to follow up on this article and complete additional research so you’ll have a better understanding of the deep respect we carry for all our residents.

What Rights Does a Resident in a Skilled Nursing Facility Have?

All residents in skilled nursing communities have the right to respectful and dignified care. They should be treated fairly, and their privacy should be respected. We’ve outlined a few of them below:

The right to be treated with respect and dignity
The right to be recognized as an individual
The right to be free from all forms of abuse
The right to not only be informed of their rights, but also in a language that they are able to understand.
The right to make their own choices in daily life: you can choose when to get up, eat, and whether or not you want to participate in the activities available.
The right to manage their own money (or choose someone to do so for them, such as with a power of attorney)
The right to privacy
The right to social services
Protection from unfair transfer or discharge
The right to form and participate in resident groups
The right to information about fees and how Medicaid/Medicare applies

These are just a few of the rights. North Carolina also has a Bill of Rights for Nursing Home Residents with similar and additional rights.

If you’d like to examine these in detail, you can visit the website for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

What Are Your Rights Regarding Medical Care?

Not only do residents have the right to choose their doctor, but they have the right to be fully informed about their health status, medical conditions and any prescriptions they’re taking.

Other rights include:

The right to provide input and participate in the development of the care plan.
Access to any medical/clinical records in a timely manner.
The right to have their representative— whether that’s a family member, doctor or legal guardian—when they are injured or there are serious changes in their condition.
The right to know if the skilled nursing community requires a discharge/transfer, particularly if it is due to a change in condition.

This is not a complete list of your rights. As we mentioned earlier, you should do further research to ensure you have a thorough understanding of how the law protects you. (We list links to these resources in the “Sources” section at the bottom of this article.)

What Are Your Rights Regarding Your Privacy?

You always have the right to receive private phone calls, emails and regular mail without being monitored. As long as your visitors don’t violate any of the rules of the community or the visitation policy, you have the right to privacy during this visit.

Did you know you can even leave your skilled nursing community to visit others? This can be either during the day or overnight. However, your doctor has to confirm that you’re healthy enough to do so.

Skilled nursing communities may also require that you “sign out” or provide some kind of check-in/check-out procedure so they are aware of your location. This is to help safeguard your health and security.

What Rights to Social Services Do Residents Have?

Residents always have the right to receive any needed social services. This includes counseling and assistance with any resident issues.

They have a right to participate in a variety of activities, whether those are social, religious or recreational. In addition, it’s recognized that residents have the right to associate with any groups they choose, as long as doing so is at a reasonable hour.

Brunswick Cove Is More Than a Skilled Nursing Community: It’s a Place to Call Home

We believe everyone we serve should be aware of their rights. We ensure that our staff understand and respect this sacred trust. We treat residents as if they were members of our own family, because in many ways, they are.

Whether you’re coming to us temporarily to get therapy after a surgery or you need long-term care, we invite you to take the next step and schedule a tour to learn more about us.

Key Takeaways:

When choosing a skilled nursing community, residents and families deserve assurances of dignity, respect, and safety—not just promises.
Brunswick Cove is committed to upholding the highest standards of compassion, respect, and resident-centered care.
Every resident in a skilled nursing facility has the right to be treated with respect, dignity, and fairness.
Residents must be informed of their rights in a language they understand and have the freedom to make choices about their daily routines.
Privacy is a fundamental right, covering communication, personal visits, and control over financial and medical information.
Residents can manage their own money or designate someone to assist through a power of attorney.
Skilled nursing residents have the right to participate in decisions about their medical care, including doctor choice and care planning.
They are entitled to timely access to medical records and updates about any changes in condition or care plan.
Residents can enjoy social services, recreational activities, and community involvement in accordance with their preferences.
North Carolina provides additional protections through the Nursing Home Residents’ Bill of Rights, ensuring fairness and transparency.
Brunswick Cove treats every resident like family—offering both short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing care in a compassionate environment.

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Sources:

Medicare, “Your Resident Rights and Protections,”https://downloads.cms.gov/medicare/your_resident_rights_and_protections_section.pdf

National Council on Aging, “What Are My Rights in a Nursing Home?” https://www.ncoa.org/article/what-are-my-rights-in-a-nursing-home/

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, “Residents’ Rights,” https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/aging/long-term-care-ombudsman/residents-rights