Mitchell-Hollingsworth strives to ensure that rights as a resident of our facility are preserved. We provide our residents with a handbook on admission of the rights as a resident. We also have those rights posted in our facility. We have many questions asked when it comes to resident rights so we wanted to share a part of what is included in the handbook on admission.

As a resident, you have a right to a dignified existence, self-determination, and communication with and access to persons and services inside and outside of the facility. You have a right to be free of interference, coercion, discrimination, and reprisal from the facility in exercising your rights. In order to protect your rights and to enhance the quality of care you receive; you should become familiar with your rights and all policies and rules governing your conduct and responsibilities during your stay in the facility. The facility will notify you and your responsible party of any change in your rights under federal or state law or applicable regulations.

The facility strives to promote care for residents in a manner and in an environment, that maintains or enhances each resident’s dignity and respect, in full recognition of his or her individuality. The facility encourages interaction among its residents. All residents have the right to organize and participate in resident groups within the facility. You will be given the opportunity to choose activities, schedules, and health care consistent with your interests, medical assessment, and plans of care. You will also be afforded the opportunity to interact with members of the community both inside and outside the facility and to make choices about aspects of your life in the facility that are significant to you.

You also have the right to participate in social, religious, and community activities that do not interfere with the rights of other residents in the facility.

ABUSE

You have the right to be free from verbal, sexual, physical and mental abuse, corporal punishment, and involuntary seclusion. The facility will not knowingly employ any individual who has been found guilty by a court of law of such offenses. Any alleged abuse of a resident will be promptly investigated by the facility pursuant to the facility’s abuse policy.

ACCESS AND VISITATION

Your visitors are welcome as long as they abide by the facility’s rules for visitors as posted in the facility. Visiting hours are from 8:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. Immediate family members may visit at any time they wish. Your family has the right to meet in the facility, and also has the right to meet with the families of other residents. To the extent practical, the facility will provide private space for family groups and other visitors to meet. In order to facilitate group meetings, the facility designated a group leader who is available to provide assistance to resident and family groups and respond to written requests from such groups. You have the right to refuse visitation by family members or other persons.

You have the right to immediate access to any representative of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, any representative of the State of Alabama, your attending physician, the Alabama Long Term Care Ombudsman, any representative of the agency responsible for the protection and advocacy system for developmentally disabled individuals, any representative of the agency responsible for the protection and advocacy or mentally ill individuals, immediate family members and other relatives, and, subject to reasonable restrictions, any other persons who are visiting with you with your consent. Information concerning how to contact certain of these representatives appear in our handbook.

ACCOMMODATION OF NEEDS

You have the right to reside and receive services in the facility with reasonable accommodation of individual needs and preferences, except when your health or safety or the health and safety of other residents would be endangered. You have the right to communicate in your own language and to receive assistance if you have a sensory impairment.

BED HOLD

You have the right to be informed in writing of the facility’s bed hold policy for temporary absences from the facility. A resident who is eligible for Medicaid assistance and who wishes to return to the facility after being discharged must be readmitted to the facility as soon as a non-private room is available. For further information on the facility’s bed hold policy, see our handbook.

CORPORATE COMPLIANCE PROGRAM

A Corporate Compliance Program (the “Program”) assists the facility in complying with applicable laws and regulations. The Program contains a Code of Conduct that establishes operational guidelines for the facility. The Code of Conduct states that the facility will provide quality resident care in a manner that promotes dignity and quality of life, in addition to complying with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations concerning billing, reimbursement, discrimination, and documentation of operations.

If you are concerned about any aspect of the facility’s compliance with any applicable law or regulation, you may call the Compliance Program hotline at 1-800-823-9474. If you have any questions about the Program, please contact the facility’s administrator, who serves as the compliance officer for the facility.

FACILITY RULES

You have a right to receive a copy of all of the facility’s rules (which are in our handbook) and to be informed about any changes in the facility’s rules.

FACILITY SERVICES AND CHARGES

You have right to be informed about the services offered by the facility and the charges for those services. You also have the right to be informed of any changes in the services offered by the facility or in the facility’s charges for its services.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

You have the right to be informed about your rights to financial assistance under Medicaid and Medicare, and to receive information about how to apply for assistance from the Medicaid and Medicare programs.

FREE CHOICE You have the right to choose your health care facility and your personal attending physician and to be fully informed in advance about care, treatment, and any changes in that care and treatment that may affect your health and wellbeing. You also have the right to participate in panning your own care and treatment and any changes in such care and treatment.

GIFTS AND GRATUITIES

You should not provide gifts or gratuities of any kind to employees. Employees are paid by the facility. Furthermore, employees are subject to dismissal for accepting cash gifts or gratuities from you or your family.

INDEPENDENCE

You have the right to continue to make choices and independent personal decisions. You have the right to continue to exercise all of your rights as a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State of Alabama, including your right to vote in elections. You have the right to participate in community activities both inside and outside the facility as well as the right to organize and participate in resident groups and organizations. You also have the right to participate in social, religious, and community activities of your choice, as long as they do not unreasonably interfere with the rights of other residents.

LEGAL RIGHTS

The facility has instituted a grievance procedure for resolving any resident complaints about facility practices. A copy of the produces for resolving resident complaints about facility practices and for suggesting changes in the policies and the rules of the facility appears in our handbook. You have the right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal. The facility will investigate and attempt to resolve all grievances promptly, to the best of the facility’s ability. You are urged to bring any grievances concerning facility practices to the attention of the facility’s administrator and to seek redress for such practices through the facility’s grievances procedure. You have a right to file a complaint with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Divisions of Health Care Facilities concerning any abuse or neglect or any misappropriation of your property in the facility. You also have the right to contact the Alabama Department of Human Resources, or the Alabama Ombudsman Program. For the name and number of these state agencies and your local Ombudsman, and for information on other officials you have the right to contact, please refer to our handbook.

MAIL

You have the right to privacy in written communication, including the right to send and promptly receive mail that is unopened and the right to access to stationary, postage, and writing implements, though the facility may charge a reasonable fee for these items.

MARRIED RESIDENTS

If your spouse resides in the facility, you have the right to share a room with him or her and you and your spouse both consent to the arrangement.

Keep following our blog for Part 2 of Resident’s Rights. If you have any questions or would like a paper coper of our handbook, please contact our facility at 25-740-5400.