"CHANGING 

THE  WAY 

RESIDENTIAL 

SENIOR CARE HOMES ARE PERCEIVED"

JONES ASSISTED LIVING
4111 DUTCH MILL ROAD
RANDALLSTOWN, MD 21133
United States
ph: (410) 922-3245
fax: (866) 452-0521

HISTORY

LAW:

 

 

In 1999, Maryland Senate Bill 545 brought major changes to the licensing and regulation of assisted living programs. Formerly, these programs were licensed and monitored by several different government agencies, with several sets of regulations. The 1999 legislation brought all assisted living facilities under one set of standards. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) was named the lead agency for licensing and monitoring of all assisted living facilities. DHMH assumed the following responsibilities:

  • To be the single point of entry for licensing of assisted living programs
  • To develop and enforce a single set of regulations regardless of facility size or number of beds
  • To review medication management at the facilities
  • To license facilities and admit residents according to levels of care.
  • To impose civil or criminal penalties for serious infractions of the regulations
  • To suspend or revoke facilities' licenses in cases of the most serious violations.

MISTREATMENT:

 

 

When you consider assisted living as an option for a family member, you naturally want to ensure that he or she will be safe and protected from abuse by staff or other residents. It is important to know what safeguards are in place to ensure the safety and security of residents. Assisted living facilities offer protection against abuse, neglect or financial exploitation in a number of ways:

  • Residents are assisted with activities of daily living; this care prevents self-neglect.
  • Staff is well trained and supervised, so employees are prepared to interact respectfully with residents and to handle difficult behaviors without resorting to abusive practices.
  • The Residential Agreement clearly states the resident's financial responsibilities and the services that will be provided. This agreement reduces the risk that the resident will be financially exploited.

PHILOSOPHY:

 

"We wanted to create a facility in which people felt right at home and not be scared to leave their normal environment to have someone looking after them. Most seniors do not want to leave their homes or their loved one's and hopefully our environment will change that."

Jones Assisted Living

REGULATION:

 

As a family member, it is important for you to know the rights of assisted living residents, as defined by the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). Those rights are summarized below.

 

 

A resident has the right to:

  • Be treated with consideration, respect, and full recognition of human dignity and individuality.
  • Receive treatment, care, and services that are adequate, appropriate and in compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
  • Privacy in one's room, including the right to have staff knock on the door before entering.
  • Be free from mental, verbal, sexual and physical abuse, neglect, involuntary seclusion and exploitation.
  • Be free from physical and chemical restraints.
  • Have one's personal information treated with confidentiality.
  • Attend or not attend religious services; receive visits from clergy.
  • Possess and use one's own personal clothing and other personal possessions and have reasonable security for these items.
  • Determine one's own dress, hairstyle, and other personal effects according to individual preference, as long as personal hygiene of resident is not compromised.
  • Meet with any individual subject to posted restrictions on visiting hours and visiting places within the facility.
  • Complain or present grievances without threat or fear of retaliation.
  • Receive a prompt response to complaints, through an established grievance procedure.
  • Have access to procedures for making complaints to state and local regulatory and advocacy agencies.
  • Receive and send private correspondence, and have access to tools for writing.
  • Have access to a telephone.
  • Receive notification before a change is made in roommates and have input into the choice of roommate, to the extent possible.
  • Refuse medical treatment after the possible consequences of refusing treatment are explained.
  • Share a room with one's spouse if this is feasible and both parties agree.
  • Not be assigned to do any work at the facility without the resident's consent and appropriate compensation.


 

 

 

 

Under this legislation, an assisted living program is defined as:

"A residence or facility-based provider that provides housing and supportive services, supervision, personalized assistance, health-related services, or a combination of these services to meet the needs of residents who are unable to perform, or need assistance in performing, the activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living, in a way that promotes optimum dignity and independence for residents."

 

Jones Assisted Living.

All Rights Reserved.

 

 

JONES ASSISTED LIVING
4111 DUTCH MILL ROAD
RANDALLSTOWN, MD 21133
United States
ph: (410) 922-3245
fax: (866) 452-0521