Living In A Nursing Home
MCL 333.21773 — 30 days' written notice before an involuntary discharge
In Michigan, every nursing home adopts a written policy on the rights and responsibilities of patients and residents, posts it, and treats residents according to it.
Visitors at least 8 hours a day. Reasonable, regular visiting hours of not less than 8 hours per day are set for patients to receive visitors, and a patient's attorney may visit outside them. A patient or resident may communicate privately with anyone of their choice and send and receive personal mail unopened on the same day it is received.
Thirty days' notice before an involuntary discharge. A nursing home may involuntarily transfer or discharge a patient only for medical reasons, the patient's welfare, the welfare of other patients or employees, or nonpayment, and must give written notice at least 30 days before, outside the emergencies the section lists. The notice says the patient may request a hearing within 10 days after receiving it.
Refusing treatment. A patient or resident may refuse treatment to the extent provided by law and be told the consequences. A nursing home, its owner, administrator, employees and representatives may not discharge, harass, retaliate or discriminate against a patient for exercising a right the section protects.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionVisiting hours are whatever the home sets | What the law actually doesNot less than 8 hours per day |
| The assumptionA resident can be moved out on a week's notice | What the law actually doesAt least 30 days' written notice, outside listed emergencies |
| The assumptionThere is no way to contest a discharge | What the law actually doesA hearing may be requested within 10 days after the notice |
Facilities taking Medicare or Medicaid funding are subject to a further set of federal resident rights alongside these, which are not on this page. Whether conduct breaches the section is a question for a licensed Michigan attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- MCL 333.21773 — Involuntary transfer or discharge of patient; notice; request for hearing
- MCL 333.20201 — Policy describing rights and responsibilities of patients or residents
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.