Residents entering assisted living do not give up their personal rights. In Pennsylvania, people living in an assisted living residence have protections involving dignity, privacy, communication, medical choices, personal belongings, complaints, and discharge decisions.
Understanding these rights can make it easier to recognize a problem, ask useful questions, and respond when care or services do not match the written agreement.
What rights do assisted living residents have in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania regulations require assisted living residences to protect residents from abuse, neglect, discrimination, intimidation, retaliation, and involuntary seclusion. Residents must be treated with dignity and respect and must be informed about residence rules and available services. ([pa.gov](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dhs/documents/licensing/bhsl-licensing/documents/Assisted_Living-Resident_Rights_Poster.pdf?utm_source=openai))
A resident generally has the right to:
- Live free from physical, verbal, mental, and sexual abuse.
- Be protected from neglect, financial exploitation, and mistreatment.
- Practice a chosen religion or faith—or choose not to practice one.
- Receive services listed in the resident-residence contract.
- Access health care services and choose a primary care physician.
- Receive visitors, communicate privately, and maintain relationships with family and friends.
- Send and receive mail without unnecessary reading or interference by staff.
- Use a telephone in privacy, with non-toll calls provided without charge.
- Keep personal clothing and possessions and furnish the living unit within residence rules.
- Leave and return to the residence according to applicable rules and the resident’s support plan.
- Review the resident record and request corrections.
- Make complaints or recommend changes without threats, intimidation, or retaliation.
These protections apply even when a resident needs substantial help with bathing, dressing, medication management, mobility, meals, or other daily activities.
Can residents make their own decisions?
Yes. Assisted living is intended to support independence and personal choice, not automatically replace a resident’s decision-making authority. Pennsylvania describes assisted living as a setting that can help people age in place while maintaining maximum independence and exercising choice. ([pa.gov](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/aging-physical-disabilities/personal-care-homes?utm_source=openai))
In practice, this may include decisions about:
- Daily routines and preferred activities.
- Clothing, room furnishings, and personal possessions.
- Visitors and private communications.
- Religious observance.
- Choice of primary care physician.
- Participation in medical care and supplemental health services.
- Whether to accept or decline particular services, when legally and medically appropriate.
A resident’s support plan should reflect individual needs and preferences. If the plan no longer describes the resident accurately, the resident or designated representative can ask for a review and clarification.
A diagnosis of dementia or another cognitive condition does not automatically eliminate every personal right. Decision-making may be shared with a legally authorized representative when necessary, but staff should still involve the resident to the greatest extent possible.
What privacy should a resident expect?
Privacy includes more than closing a door. Residents have a right to privacy of their person and possessions, including during bathing, dressing, changing clothes, and medical procedures. Personal conversations with family, physicians, attorneys, and advocates should also be treated as private.
Residents may want to ask:
- Who may enter the living unit, and under what circumstances?
- How are personal belongings labeled and protected?
- Who can view medical or personal records?
- Can private phone calls or video calls be made?
- How are roommate concerns handled?
A resident and the resident’s designated person may access, review, and request corrections to the resident’s record. Keeping a written list of inaccurate information can make a record-review request more precise.
What happens if a resident has a complaint?
A resident may complain orally or in writing about care, staffing, food, medication assistance, activities, billing-related services, privacy, lost property, or any other concern. The residence must have a complaint process and may not retaliate or threaten discharge because someone raised a concern. ([pa.gov](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dhs/documents/licensing/bhsl-licensing/documents/Assisted_Living_Residences-2800_Regulatory_Compliance_Guide_RCG.pdf?utm_source=openai))
A practical complaint should include:
- The date, time, and location of the incident.
- The names or descriptions of people involved.
- What happened and how it affected the resident.
- Any witnesses.
- What resolution is being requested.
Ask for a copy of the residence’s complaint procedure and identify the staff member responsible for receiving complaints. Pennsylvania guidance states that a residence must assist a resident who wants to make a written complaint but needs help putting it in writing. A written complaint should receive a status report within two business days under the cited regulatory guidance. ([pa.gov](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dhs/documents/licensing/bhsl-licensing/documents/Assisted_Living_Residences-2800_Regulatory_Compliance_Guide_RCG.pdf?utm_source=openai))
Keeping copies of complaints, responses, care-plan notes, and relevant correspondence can help identify whether a problem was resolved or repeated.
Can a resident be discharged against their wishes?
A resident has rights related to relocation and involuntary discharge. The residence must follow applicable procedures, and residents may use both internal and external processes to appeal an involuntary discharge. ([pa.gov](https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/dhs/documents/licensing/bhsl-licensing/documents/Assisted_Living-Resident_Rights_Poster.pdf?utm_source=openai))
A sudden request to leave should not be treated as an ordinary move. Ask for:
- The reason for the proposed discharge.
- The effective date.
- The written notice and appeal instructions.
- Information about transportation, medications, records, and belongings.
- The specific contract or support-plan language being relied upon.
Families and residents should avoid signing a move-out agreement under pressure without understanding what it means. If there is an immediate safety concern, such as abuse, threats, or unsafe discharge planning, outside assistance may be needed promptly.
Who can help if the residence does not resolve the issue?
Residents may contact the Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program for confidential assistance with concerns involving assisted living, including discharge disputes, staffing, medication issues, dietary concerns, property loss, and responses to requests for help. The program can connect a resident with the appropriate local ombudsman. ([pa.gov](https://www.pa.gov/services/aging/request-assistance-from-a-long-term-care-ombudsman?utm_source=openai))
A resident or family member may also submit a complaint to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Bureau of Human Services Licensing. The state accepts complaints involving assisted living residences and personal care homes through its online process, by email, or by calling 1-877-401-8835. ([pa.gov](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/aging-physical-disabilities/personal-care-homes/personal-care-home-complaints?utm_source=openai))
For residents in Flourtown, keeping contact information for an advocate, trusted family member, and emergency support person in an accessible place can be especially useful during winter weather, power interruptions, or other conditions that may complicate transportation and communication.
What should families review before a problem occurs?
The resident-residence contract, support plan, medication procedures, grievance policy, visitation rules, personal-property procedures, and discharge policy should be reviewed before they are urgently needed.
Residents and families may also want to confirm:
- How to report an urgent concern after normal office hours.
- Who may speak with staff on the resident’s behalf.
- How changes in care needs are evaluated.
- How money and personal property are safeguarded.
- How medical appointments and transportation are arranged.
- Where the resident-rights notice is posted.
- How to contact the ombudsman privately.
Resident rights are not merely paperwork. They provide a framework for preserving safety, choice, privacy, and respect while receiving supportive care in an assisted living setting.
