Laws, image via Woody Hibbard

In the world of guardianship, elder care and advocacy, there are laws. Tons of them! While I am not an attorney, I have learned that there are laws, and then there’s how things work in the real world.

Here are two commonly-broken laws that you can be aware of:

Discharge From a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)

While SNF’s don’t have to accept all applicants, the law does say that they can not 911 a difficult or non-paying client to the hospital just to get them out the door. Unfortunately, it still happens. To be prepared, know your client’s rights in a SNF: http://buff.ly/1WH1Gxn

Honoring Contracts at an Assisted Living Facility (ALF)

While most residents checking into an ALF might expect to spend the rest of their days there, sometimes plans change and they need to leave the facility. The Agency For Health Care Administration rules limit the amount of days an ALF can require residents to give notice when they want to move out. Currently, that is 30 days. We now are seeing contracts from some ALF providers with closer to 45 and 60 day terms. Buyer beware.