Your Long-Term Care Rights

There are laws in place to help ensure that everyone receiving long-term care services is treated as any citizen would be treated. Unless a judge has said otherwise, a person receiving long-term care services has the same rights as any citizen. For example, you have the right to:

• Privacy
• Mail
• Vote
• Practice your religion
• Keep your personal things and buy things
• Manage your money
• Get married
• Choose where to live
• Choose your own doctors
• Be informed about your medications and medical care
• Refuse medications and treatments
• Access your medical records
• Be treated with respect and dignity

Unless you have been declared mentally incompetent, if you are in a nursing home, you have the right to:

• Discharge yourself
• Not to be discharged, except in accordance with nursing home regulations
• Receive 30 days' written notice if the nursing home proposes a discharge
• Appeal a proposed discharge within 90 days of receiving notice in a Medicaid facility.

Yes, in addition to your other rights, you also have the right to file a complaint. You can call 800-458-9858 or visit the Texas Unified Licensure Information Portal. Visit Texas Health and Human Services for other ways to file a complaint.

You can also contact the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Though it is an unusual word, an “ombudsman” is potentially very important to you because they work to protect your and your rights, and they will maintain your privacy and confidentiality. To get in touch with an ombudsman in your area, you can call 800-452-2412 or visit State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.