The Southeast region of the United States contains 12 states. Each of these states has nursing home laws in place to ensure the health and wellbeing of residents. Additionally, a number of states offer a Long Term Care Ombudsman program. This program acts as an advocacy group to provide ongoing education, resources, and conflict resolution.

Nursing Home Laws in South Atlantic States

 

District of Columbia Nursing Home Laws

The District of Columbia maintains nursing home laws which state that a licensed nurse (LN) must be on duty 24 hours a day when the nursing home facility accommodates 100 or more beds. Each facility must maintain written policies for virtually all aspects of resident care, such as nursing services, physician services, emergency care, dental services, infection control, medication management, recreational services, use of restraints, and disaster preparedness.

Maryland Nursing Home Laws

Maryland nursing home laws require that a registered nurse (RN) is on duty seven days a week during the day. A licensed nurse (LN) must be on duty to tend to residents 24 hours a day. A consulting pharmacist must work with each nursing home facility in order to ensure that each resident receives the proper medication. Within 30 days of admission into a nursing home, each resident must be under physician care. To learn more about Maryland nursing home laws, contact the Maryland Attorney General’s office.

North Carolina Nursing Home Laws

The North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation oversees the education and enforcement of North Carolina nursing home laws within facilities. The state’s Long Term Care Ombudsman is an advocacy program available for nursing home residents, their families, and providers. If residents or their families have an issue or complaint, the Long Term Care Ombudsman can help to provide information and resolve conflicts as needed.

South Carolina Nursing Home Laws

South Carolina nursing home laws place a special emphasis on educating and informing the public on nursing home abuse and what kind of behavior constitutes abuse. Nursing home residents have the basic rights to be free from any form of physical and psychological abuse. To learn more about South Carolina nursing home laws, contact the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Virginia Nursing Home Laws

The Virginia Department of Health’s Division of Long Term Care provides the public with Virginia nursing home laws and guidelines. All nursing facilities in the state are required to obtain a license in order to operate. Every two years, nursing homes are inspected under state licensure. Facilities with Medicare and Medicaid certification are inspected once a year on average.

West Virginia Nursing Home Laws

West Virginia nursing home laws aim to promote overall quality of life for nursing home residents. This should be maintained through monitoring and evaluation of residents and gathering feedback. Nursing homes are required to meet the nutritional, medical, recreational, rehabilitation, and pharmaceutical needs of each resident. To obtain the full list of West Virginia nursing home laws, contact the West Virginia Division of Health.

Nursing Home Laws in East South Central States

Alabama Nursing Home Laws

Alabama nursing home laws seek to maintain as much independence and dignity as possible for nursing home residents. The Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Health Provider Standards seeks to provide residents of Alabama with education and insight into selecting the right nursing home for prospective residents and their families. The Division offers free materials discussing nursing home selection.

Kentucky Nursing Home Laws

Under Kentucky nursing home laws, all nursing home residents have the right to a dignified existence and self-determination. They also have the right to communicate with and access individuals inside and outside the nursing home facility. The Kentucky Long Term Care Ombudsman program is available to prospective and current nursing home residents and their families. The Ombudsman program acts as an advocate for nursing home residents and their families in the event that they have any concerns or issues.

Mississippi Nursing Home Laws

Mississippi nursing home laws require a registered nurse (RN) to be on duty seven days a week during the day. An RN must be the full-time Director of Nursing Services. For more information on Mississippi nursing home laws, contact the Mississippi State Department of Health. The Mississippi State Department of Health is responsible for licensing and regulating nursing homes and other care facilities in the state.

Tennessee Nursing Home Laws

The Tennessee Department of Health’s Board of Nursing Home Administrators is the responsible agency for safeguarding the safety, health, and welfare of the residents of Tennessee. As a means of enforcing the highest care standards possible, the Board requires certain qualifications in order to become licensed nursing home personnel.

 

Sources:

“Board of Nursing Home Administrators.” TN Department of Health. TN Department of Health. Web. 27 Sep 2013. <http://health.state.tn.us/boards/NHA/index.htm>.

“Nursing Homes.” North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services. North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services. Web. 27 Sep 2013. <http://www.ncdhhs.gov/aging/nhome.htm>.

“Nursing Home Information.” South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Web. 27 Sep 2013. <http://www.scdhec.gov/health/licen/ncinfo.htm>.

“Series 13: Nursing Home Licensure Rule.” West Virginia Division of Health. West Virginia Division of Health. Web. 27 Sep 2013. <http://www.hpm.umn.edu/nhregsplus/NHRegs_by_State/West Virginia/WV Complete Regs.pdf>.

“State-Initiated Nursing Home Nurse Staffing Ratios: Annotated Review of the Literature.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Web. 27 Sep 2013. <http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2003/ratiolit.htm>.

“The Division of Long Term Care.” Virginia Department of Health. Virginia Department of Health. Web. 27 Sep 2013. <http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/OLC/longtermcare/>.