§ 2-108 — Communications; visits; married residents

Every resident shall be permitted unimpeded, private and uncensored communication of his or her choice by mail, public telephone or visitation. (a) The administrator shall ensure that correspondence is conveniently received and mailed, and that telephones are reasonably accessible. (b) The administrator shall ensure that residents may have private visits at any reasonable hour unless such visits are not medically advisable for the resident as documented in the resident's clinical record by the resident's physician. (c) The administrator shall ensure that space for visits is available and that facility personnel knock, except in an emergency, before entering any resident's room. (d) Unimpeded, private and uncensored communication by mail, public telephone and visitation may be reasonably restricted by a physician only in order to protect the resident or others from harm, harassment or intimidation, provided that the reason for any such restriction is placed in the resident's clinical record by the physician and that notice of such restriction shall be given to all residents upon admission. However, all letters addressed by a resident to the Governor, members of the General Assembly, Attorney General, judges, state's attorneys, officers of the Department, or licensed attorneys at law shall be forwarded at once to the persons to whom they are addressed without examination by facility personnel. Letters in reply from the officials and attorneys mentioned above shall be delivered to the recipient without examination by facility personnel. (e) The administrator shall ensure that married residents residing in the same facility be allowed to reside in the same room within the facility unless there is no room available in the facility or it is deemed medically inadvisable by the residents' attending physician and so documented in the residents' medical records.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 99-180, eff. 7-29-15.)