New Jersey § 26:2h-154

§ 26:2h-154.

a. Every resident of a dementia care home facility shall have the right: (1) To manage the resident's own financial affairs; (2) To wear the resident's own clothing; (3) To determine the resident's own dress, hair style, or other personal effects according

to individual preference; (4) To retain and use the resident's personal property in the resident's immediate

living quarters, so as to maintain individuality and personal dignity, except where

the facility can demonstrate that it would be unsafe, impractical to do so, or infringe

upon the rights of others, and that mere convenience is not the facility's motive

to restrict this right; (5) To receive and send unopened correspondence; (6) To unaccompanied access to a telephone at a reasonable hour and to a private phone

at the resident's expense; (7) To privacy; (8) To retain the services of the resident's own personal physician at the resident's

own expense or under a health care plan and to confidentiality and privacy concerning

the resident's medical condition and treatment; (9) To unrestricted communication, including personal visitation with any person of

the resident's choice, at any reasonable hour; (10) To make contacts with the community and to achieve the highest level of independence,

autonomy, and interaction with the community of which the resident is capable; (11) To present grievances on behalf of the resident or others to the operator, State

governmental agencies, or other persons without threat of reprisal in any form or

manner; (12) To a safe and decent living environment and considerate and respectful care that

recognizes the dignity and individuality of the resident; (13) To refuse to perform services for the facility, except as contracted for by the

resident and the operator; (14) To practice the religion of the resident's choice, or to abstain from religious

practice; and (15) To not be deprived of any constitutional, civil, or legal right solely by reason

of residence in a dementia care home. b. The operator of a dementia care home shall ensure that a written notice of the

rights set forth in subsection a. of this section is given to every resident upon

admittance to the facility and to each resident upon request. The operator shall also post this notice in a conspicuous public place in the facility. This notice shall include the name, address, and telephone numbers of the Office

of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly, county welfare agency, and county

office on aging. c. A person or resident whose rights as set forth in subsection a. of this section

are violated shall have a cause of action against any person committing the violation. The action may be brought in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce those

rights and to recover actual and punitive damages for their violation. A plaintiff who prevails in the action shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's

fees and costs of the action.