Resident Bill of Rights & Responsibilities

While you are living at River Park Gardens, you have the right to expect certain things from us. This includes professionalism, respect, high quality care and service, open communication, privacy and much more. In addition to having rights, Residents, employees and volunteers have responsibilities. These include: truthfulness, respect for River Park Gardens' property, complying with River Park Gardens' policies and cooperating with your Care Team.

The Resident Bill of Rights adopted at River Park Gardens is as follows:

1. Every resident has the right to be treated with courtesy and respect and in a way that fully recognizes the resident's dignity and individuality. Residents have the right to be protected from all abuse.
2. Every Resident has the right to be properly sheltered, provided with nourishing food, clothing of their own choice, groomed and cared for in a manner consistent with his or her personal needs.
3. Every Resident has the right to be afforded privacy in treatmentand in being caring for, in a manner consistent with his or herpersonal needs.
4. Every Resident has the right to live in a safe and clean environment. Every Resident also has the right to keep personal items in his or her room, and display personal possessions, pictures and furnishings in keeping with safety requirements for the residents and staff and where space permits.
5. A Resident has the right to live in as "home-like" atmosphere as reasonably possible.
6. Every Resident has the right:
   • To be informed of their medical condition, treatment and proposed cours of treatment.
   • To give or refuse consent to treatment, including medication, in accordance with the law and to be informed of the consequences of giving or refusing consent.
   • To have the opportunity to participate fully in the making of any decision and obtaining an independent medical opinion concerning any aspect of their care, including any decision concerning his or her admission, discharge or transfer to or from a nursing home and,
   • To have their Health Care Directive placed on the Resident Health Care Record and noted on both the Resident Care Plan and the Advance Care Plan.
7. Every Resident has the right to receive therapy and assistance toward independence consistent with his or her condition and ability.
8. Every Resident who is being considered for restraints has the right to be fully informed about the procedures and the consequences of receiving or refusing them.
9. Every Resident has the right to communicate in the language of their choosing in confidence, to receive visitors of their choice and to consult in private with any person without interference. Where both spouses are Residents in the same nursing home, they have the right to share a room according to their wishes, if an appropriate room is available.
10. Every Resident has the right to exercise the rights of a citizen and to raise concerns or recomm3end changes in policies and services on behalf of themselves or others to the resident council, nursing home staff, without fear of restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal. Residents have the right to be informed of the procedure for initiating all complaints. They also have the right to communicate and meet with their legal representative as often as necessary.
11. Every Resident has a right to pursue social, cultural, religious and other interests to develop their potential and to be given reasonable provisions by the nursing home to accommodate these pursuits. Residents have the right to participate or not participate in recreational activities held by the home.
12. Every Resident has the right to be given access to protected areas outside the nursing home in order to enjoy outdoor activity, unless the physical setting makes this impossible.

These rights belong to every Resident and can only be modified if they interfere with the wellbeing of other residents.

The Resident Bill of Rights is approved by the Residents Council on a yearly basis through our Resident Council meetings.