55:13B-19. Rights of resident of boarding facility

Every resident of a boarding facility shall have the right:

a. To manage his own financial affairs;

b. To wear his own clothing;

c. To determine his own dress, hair style, or other personal effects according to individual preference;

d. To retain and use his personal property in his immediate living quarters, so as to maintain individuality and personal dignity, except where the boarding facility can demonstrate that such would be unsafe, impractical to do so, infringes upon the rights of others and that mere convenience is not the facility's motive to restrict this right;

e. To receive and send unopened correspondence;

f. To unaccompanied access to a telephone at a reasonable hour and to a private phone at the resident's expense;

g. To privacy;

h. To retain the services of his own personal physician at his own expense or under a health care plan and to confidentiality and privacy concerning his medical condition and treatment;

i. To unrestricted communication, including personal visitation with any person of his choice, at any reasonable hour;

j. To make contacts with the community and to achieve the highest level of independence, autonomy, and interaction with the community of which he is capable;

k. To present grievances on behalf of himself or others to the operator, State governmental agencies or other persons without threat of reprisal in any form or manner whatsoever;

l . To a safe and decent living environment and considerate and respectful care that recognizes the dignity and individuality of the resident;

m. To refuse to perform services for the boarding facility, except as contracted for by the resident and the operator;

n. To practice the religion of his or her choice, or to abstain from religious practice; and

o . To not be deprived of any constitutional, civil or legal right solely by reason of residence in a boarding facility.

L.1979, c. 500, s. 3.