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Housing

Resident Rights in Assisted Living Facilities

Arizona law offers civil rights protections for residents of assisted living homes. Arizona law also requires the facility to provide residents with information on their rights and ensure that physical disabilities and language barriers do not prevent them from being informed.

Legal Rights and Protections

Right of Self Determination
  • You have the right to make your own choices. Those include the right to select your own doctor and pharmacy, to choose whether you want to participate in activities, the right to refuse services and medications.
  • You have the right to file complaints and submit grievances.
  • You have the right to leave the facility if you choose to do so.

How do you make a complaint about a violation of your rights?

Arizona has a longterm care ombudsman to assist residents in assisted living. The ombudsman’s office is there to investigate your complaints of neglect, abuse, substandard conditions, staffing issues, and any violations of your civil rights.

The longterm care ombudsman is located at the Arizona Department of Economic Security. The telephone number is (877) 767-2385.
Hand holding a document

Who can file a complaint?

Anyone with knowledge about events or conditions at an assisted living facility can make a complaint. It may be a staff member, a resident, a friend, a family member, or a guardian. Complaints should be filed as soon after the relevant event as possible. Records disappear and memories fade. There are several avenues to make a complaint. You can telephone or email the long-term care ombudsman, or you can complain to the licensing division at the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).

Online Complaint Form

What should a complaint contain?

Your complaint should contain as much detail as possible. The type of details needed are: 
  • Name and address of the facility
  • Names of the people involved
  • Specific information about the problem
If the complaint is about a single event, include the day and time, a description of the event, the names of the people involved, and the names of any witnesses. 
Document with a pen
Form with a magnify glass

How are complaints investigated?

Complaints are assigned to a surveyor or investigator who will review records and often interview staff and witnesses. Anyone listed in the complaint will be contacted. If a complaint uncovers a pattern of negligent or unfair practices, a complete compliance survey may be ordered by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Once the investigation is finished, everyone involved will be notified of the outcome. The name of the person making the complaint will not be disclosed to the facility.

Resources

Adult Protective Services
Arizona Ombudsman Citizens' Aide or call (800) 872-2879
Arizona Senior Citizens Law Project call (888) 783-7500


Nursing Homes

This website has been prepared for general information purposes only. The information on this website is not legal advice. Legal advice is dependent upon the specific circumstances of each situation. Also, the law may vary from state-to-state or county-to-county, so that some information in this website may not be correct for your situation. Finally, the information contained on this website is not guaranteed to be up to date. Therefore, the information contained in this website cannot replace the advice of competent legal counsel licensed in your jurisdiction.

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