NAC449.74445. Generally.

     1. A facility for skilled nursing shall protect and promote the rights of each patient in the facility.

     2. In addition to the rights set forth in NRS 449.710 and 449.720, a patient in a skilled nursing facility has the right to:

     (a) Receive care in a manner and environment that maintains and enhances each patient’s dignity with respect to each patient’s individuality.

     (b) Exercise his or her rights without the threat of interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal.

     (c) Choose his or her attending physician.

     (d) Be fully informed, in a language that the patient understands, of his or her total health status, including, without limitation, his or her medical condition.

     (e) Participate in decisions relating to the patient’s health care, unless he or she is unable to do so because he or she is incompetent or incapacitated.

     (f) Receive services with reasonable accommodation for the patient’s individual needs and preferences, unless the health or safety of the patient or other patients would be endangered.

     (g) Privacy in relation to his or her accommodations, personal care, written and oral communications and meetings with other persons. The provisions of this paragraph do not require a facility for skilled nursing to provide a private room to each patient.

     (h) File grievances with the facility without the threat of discrimination or reprisal and to the prompt resolution of those grievances. Such grievances include, without limitation, complaints relating to treatment that has been furnished or not furnished and the behavior of other patients.

     (i) Use a telephone where calls can be made without being overheard.

     (j) Retain and use personal possessions as space allows, including, without limitation, furniture and clothing, unless to do so would infringe upon the rights or threaten the health and safety of other patients.

     (k) Share a room with his or her spouse if both spouses reside in the facility and consent to the arrangement.

     (l) Manage his or her financial affairs.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Health by R051-99, eff. 9-27-99)