Living In A Nursing Home
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 198.088 — thirty days' notice and a right to a hearing
In Missouri, every licensed long-term care facility establishes policies on residents' rights, and the section sets what they must ensure.
Thirty days' written notice and a hearing. A resident is transferred or discharged only for medical reasons, for their own or other residents' welfare, or for nonpayment. No resident may be discharged without notice of the right to a hearing, given in writing no less than thirty days in advance, except in an emergency.
Private communication, and refusing treatment. A resident may communicate, associate and meet privately with persons of their choice, unless it would infringe other residents' rights, and send and receive personal mail unopened. A resident may refuse treatment, and takes part in experimental research only on informed written consent.
Grievances. A resident may voice grievances and recommend changes to staff or outside representatives of their choice, free from restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionA discharge can happen with a week's warning | What the law actually doesNo less than thirty days' written notice, outside an emergency |
| The assumptionThere is nobody to appeal to | What the law actually doesThe notice states the right to a hearing |
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 Missouri attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 198.088 — Facilities to establish policies and procedures — rights of residents
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Missouri attorney.