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Jacquels714 Asked June 2010

Does the nursing home have the right to transfer a resident to another facility if resident has valid complaints?

Jacquels714 Jun 2010
Thank you so much. And yes, you are absolutely right on target. I have a family member residing in one and there are a lot of issues with the nursing staff not assisting the residents in a timely manner or at all (care they are not providing - i.e. turning off call lights, making remarks to the residents, "misplacing" belongings, among other issues), staff following the orders from the doctor, making up excuses or taking the blame off them for various incidents asa they are never wrong. There was another resident whose family members brought up issues that they were unhappy with such as the ones I stated above. Without any type of notice, they arranged a transfer for the resident to be placed at another facility stating that the nursing home has done everything possible to accommodate the resident but to no avail; therefore, they are transferring them out. That was NOT the case at all. To me, it is like they are sweeping it under the rug vs. trying to resolve the issues. The problems these individuals were experiencing are still occurring with other residents. I'll look over the booklet. Do the resident have rights? It makes it hard to address issues for fear the resident might get kicked out.

tpfzowie Jun 2010
Hi Jacquels714,
I have done a lot of battles with nursing home/rehab recently. I found it helpful to read over the papers or booklets that were given to the patient upon admission. I have discovered that there is usually a statement in those papers about their policy for transferring patients.

I am not sure what issue needs to be resolved, but transferring the patient and not addressing the issues guarantees that those same issue will come up for other patients, there. (unless the issues are are related to treatment of a certain condition.)

You haven't indicated how this involves you, so I don't know what role you could take in changing things.

In New Jersey, patients must receive an explanation of the reasons for transferring you to another facility, and information about alternatives to the transfer.

I have found many of the people in nursing homes ready with a "scripted" answer, designed to make you think something is being done about the problem, when it isn't. They also have an uncanny way of making the problem your fault, as if they have nothing to do with it.

I believe that nursing homes are fighting to keep every penny they can. They could become an endangered species as more Medicaid money is now being spent on home care. I have been told I am too cynical, but if you look into the finances behind the transfer you'd find that, in some way, it's about the money.

I hope this helps a little.

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