What Should I Do If the Nursing Home Won’t Let Me Visit My Loved One?

With surges in COVID-19, nursing homes are once again telling people they can’t visit their loved ones.

It is important that you know your rights.

Under a new law passed this year, nursing home residents cannot be denied visitors.

Ministers and clergy have a right to visit nursing home residents, and friends and family members can visit their loved ones as well.

If you or someone you know has been turned away from visiting in a nursing home here are some suggestions:

Read These Documents

Read Act 311 of 2021, the No Patient Left Alone Act.

After that, read the Arkansas Department of Health’s information regarding Act 311.

Finally, review the federal CMS guidelines for nursing home visitation.

These documents make it clear that nursing home residents can have compassionate care visits with friends and family members — even during an outbreak — and they will help you understand how you can visit your loved one.

Go To The Administrator

Go directly to the facility administrator and ask to be allowed to visit as allowed by the compassionate care provisions of the law and federal guidelines.

Compassionate care visits are allowed for the wellbeing of the resident. The same is true with clergy visits for spiritual wellbeing.

If you are not allowed to visit, go directly to the owner of the facility and make the same appeal.

Ask for Help

If necessary get a lawyer to contact the owner of the facility on your behalf.

Remember that nursing homes are not prisons. The people who live there have rights — and so do family members.

Here are some organizations you may find helpful:

Family Council
(501) 375-7000
www.familycouncil.org
Click on the No Patient Left Alone Act

To report nursing home abuse:

Office of Long Term Care
(501) 508-8857
www.AROmbudsman.com

Arkansas Advocates for Nursing Home Residents
(501) 607-8976

Photo Credit: Billy Calzada from San Antonio, Texas, USA, PDM-owner, via Wikimedia Commons.