Living In A Nursing Home
Wis. Stat. 50.09 — sealed mail, private visits, and reasonable notice before a transfer
In Wisconsin, every resident of a nursing home or community-based residential facility has rights written into the statute, posted in the facility and given to residents at or before admission.
- Private and unrestricted communication, including sealed, unopened mail, reasonable telephone access and private visits.
- Presenting grievances to staff, public officials or anyone else without justifiable fear of reprisal.
- Managing their own money unless they delegate it in writing, with a written monthly account on request.
- Written notice of the services in the daily rate and their charges, and of any changes.
- Their own clothing and belongings, and the provider and pharmacist of their choice.
- Being fully informed of their treatment and care and taking part in planning it.
Transfer or discharge. A resident is given reasonable advance notice of any planned transfer or discharge, with an explanation of the need for it and the alternatives, and the receiving facility must have accepted the resident, except in a medical emergency or for nonpayment after a reasonable opportunity to pay.
Restraints. A resident is free from mental and physical abuse and from chemical and physical restraints, except as authorized in writing by a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse for a specified and limited period. In an emergency physical restraints may be used, with authorization for continuing use secured within 12 hours.
Complaints. Each facility has a system for reviewing complaints of rights violations, with a designated person who reports to the administrator, and good faith participation in that review carries no civil liability.
| The assumption | What the law actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionThe facility can read a resident's mail | What the law actually doesCorrespondence is not opened, delayed, held or censored |
| The assumptionA resident can be moved whenever the facility decides | What the law actually doesReasonable advance notice, an explanation, and an accepting facility, except in an emergency or for nonpayment |
Medicaid eligibility, guardianship and the federal nursing home rules are not all on this page. What a particular situation carries is a question for a licensed Wisconsin attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Wis. Stat. 50.09 — Rights of residents in certain facilities
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wisconsin attorney.