Patients' rights in a nursing home

Under state and federal law, nursing home residents have many rights, including the right to be treated with respect, to receive reasonable accommodation to individual needs, to not be abused, to be free from unwarranted restraints, to refuse treatment, and to participate in treatment planning. Physicians need a working knowledge of certain fundamental legal concepts in order to help patients, particularly with regard to withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.