Moving in and moving out: Idaho's admission and discharge rules

What happens before an Idaho assisted living facility admits a resident?

Before admission the facility must assess the person to make sure it can serve them, documenting help needed with bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming, eating and communicating, a pre-admission nursing assessment, any behaviors and their triggers, and outside services the person will need.

Section 152 also says a facility may admit only people it has the capability, capacity, services and appropriately trained staff to care for, and only for services it is licensed to provide or arranges. A Boise building that cannot meet a need it has assessed should say so before move-in, not after.

What must an Idaho assisted living admission agreement include?

The written agreement, signed before or on move-in day, must state the facility's charges and services and spell out, among other things, the staffing pattern and staff qualifications on a normal day, medication responsibilities, billing and refund practices, emergency transfer conditions and what happens if payment shifts to a public program.

• Who handles the resident's personal funds and valuables.
• How partial-month refunds work, and the 30-day written notice either side must give before a move.
• Up to 15 days of prorated rent may be charged after an emergency discharge or a death.
• Any restriction on choosing a home health, hospice or personal care provider.
• How to contest charges or rate increases, including contacting the ombudsman.
• The smoking policy and the resident's advance directive preference.

Can an assisted living facility in Idaho discharge a resident?

Yes, but it must give written notice with the specific reason, the effective date, appeal rights and timelines, and the contact details of the local ombudsman and Disability Rights Idaho; a notice missing any required item is void and must be reissued.

Except for emergencies or a death, 30 days' written notice is required. The facility must help with the move by providing a list of nursing facilities, other RALFs and certified family homes that may meet the resident's needs. One trap: if the resident stops paying fees during an appeal, the appeal becomes void and the discharge stands.

How do Treasure Valley families appeal an involuntary discharge?

IDHW provides an online discharge appeal form on its RALF program page, and the Area 3 long-term care ombudsman, reached through the Southwest Idaho Area Agency on Aging at (208) 898-7060, can help a resident understand the notice and prepare.

Keep paying the monthly charges while the appeal runs, keep copies of the notice and the admission agreement, and write down the dates of every conversation. A discharge for “needs we can no longer meet” should match what the pre-admission assessment and the negotiated service agreement say.