Recurring Problems with Nursing Homes #2

Dan Frith

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Lauren and I have reviewed over 500 potential nursing home cases over the years and we see some problems over and over and over again. I decided we would share with our readers some of the more frequent problems...and the answers.

Problem #2: Many nursing homes tell the resident's family that they may "visit" only during set or scheduled visitation hours and may never visit after a certain time at night.

Wrong! The Nursing Home Reform Law provides that a nursing home may not limit visiting hours for "immediate family or other relatives." The law is found in Section 483.10(j)(1) of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations. For late night visitations, federal guidelines suggest the visit take place outside of the resident's room to avoid disturbing a sleeping roommate. So, if you don't get off work until later in the day don't let the Director of Nursing, or others, tell you that you cannot visit a loved one.

We tell all of our client's family members that it is often best to visit at unusual times of the day to get a real picture of the care provided at the nursing home.