Can the Nursing Home Deny Me Access to My Grandparent?

My grandmother was put into a nursing home because she needs care that we’re unable to provide. The other day I went to visit her, and I was turned away. The staff denied me access to her, and the same happened to my mother the other day.

How can the staff deny access to my grandparent’s child?

You need to be very concerned for the health and welfare of your grandmother. The issue is that you cannot be denied access if you have a right to visit your grandmother. If you or your mother have been accused of abuse or something of that nature, then you may not be allowed to visit her as a result. Otherwise, you should always be permitted to visit your grandmother as per the facility’s rules.

One of the first signs that a nursing staff may have abused a patient is denying a relative their right to see their loved ones.

There are some circumstances when denial is allowed:

• Past visiting hours
• Visits interfere with essential care

Federal law is such that nursing homes cannot turn guests away.

“If a resident doesn’t wish to see a certain person, that visitor will be denied access. Otherwise, nursing home residents can have visitors anytime they choose,” explains Strom & Associates.

Your grandmother’s condition may be deteriorating, and she may choose to stop all visitors from seeing her. There are times when a resident of a nursing home will decide that they’re in such a frail state that they do not want their loved ones to see them in that condition.

It’s a resident trying to be thoughtful of the memories that they leave behind for their loved ones.
A lot of people do not want their loved ones to have the last memory of them be one that has the person in a weakened state. It may be that your grandmother has chosen to deny you access, but the nursing home should alert you to this anyway.

Legal guardians of the resident have a right to deny access to visitors if they deem the person to be a harm to the resident.

Perhaps your grandfather was in a disagreement with your mother, so he decided that he would deny her access to her mother. This is always a possibility, but it‘s best to demand answers from the manager to understand what’s happening to your grandmother.

Laws require that the nursing home allow the resident’s legal guardian or resident representative access the resident immediately. You can call her doctor to do a checkup because an individual physician cannot be denied access to the patient.

If you suspect that abuse has occurred, you should contact the authorities to investigate the matter.

You want your loved one safe and sound, and sometimes, you need to take immediate action to ensure that your loved one has not been abused. If abuse has occurred, you will want to contact an attorney and take action against the nursing home. You may be saving your grandmother’s life or the lives of others who may be abused in the nursing home.

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Can the Nursing Home Deny Me Access to My Grandparent?