Attorney Advertising · Sponsored by Leitner Warywoda PLLC, New York trial lawyers Call (855) 585-2969
NY Nursing Home Resource Center
Menu
Find a Nursing HomeFile a ComplaintResidents' RightsGet RecordsFamily GuideBlog Ask about a concern

Free printable booklet

The Family Guide to New York Nursing Homes

What to expect, who does what, and how to handle the problems that arise. If someone you love lives in a New York nursing home, or is about to, read this guide. Families who know what to look for catch problems early and get them fixed.

Download the free PDF Read or print online

No sign-up. October 2026 edition. Letter size, prints on any home printer.

Cover of The Family Guide to New York Nursing Homes

What's inside

Part 1

Getting started

The first weeks in a nursing home set the pattern for everything that follows. This part covers what to do at admission and the legal documents that decide who can speak for the resident.

  1. 1The first 30 days: a checklist for families
  2. 2What should I know before signing the admission agreement?
  3. 3Health care proxy, MOLST and DNR: what do they mean in a New York nursing home?

Part 2

Who's who in the nursing home

Knowing who does what tells you whom to ask, whom to call when something goes wrong, and who is responsible for fixing it.

  1. 4Who's who in a nursing home? Staff titles and roles explained
  2. 5What does a CNA do in a nursing home?
  3. 6RN, LPN and charge nurse: what is the difference in a nursing home?
  4. 7What does the director of nursing (DON) do in a nursing home?
  5. 8What does a nursing home administrator do?
  6. 9What does a nursing home social worker do?
  7. 10Who is the doctor in a nursing home, and how often must a resident be seen?
  8. 11How many staff must a New York nursing home have?

Part 3

The care plan and the chart

The care plan says what the facility promised to do. The chart shows what it says it did. Families who understand both can spot problems early.

  1. 12What is a nursing home care plan?
  2. 13What happens at a nursing home care plan meeting, and how do I prepare?
  3. 14What is the MDS (Minimum Data Set) in a nursing home?
  4. 15What's in a nursing home chart? A guide to the medical record
  5. 16What is a MAR and TAR in a nursing home?
  6. 17What are ADL flow sheets and CNA documentation?
  7. 18What is the Braden Scale for pressure sore risk?
  8. 19Why do staff ask me to leave during changing, and how can I check for bedsores?
  9. 20Bedsore stages explained: what do stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 mean?

Part 4

Safety, rights and common problems

Falls, weight loss, restraints, sedating drugs, discharge notices and visiting limits are where families most often need to act. Each chapter explains the rules and what to do.

  1. 21When must a nursing home notify the family?
  2. 22What should happen after a fall in a nursing home?
  3. 23How much weight loss in a nursing home is too much?
  4. 24What is a restraint in a nursing home?
  5. 25Are bed rails allowed in nursing homes?
  6. 26Is my loved one being overmedicated? Antipsychotics in nursing homes
  7. 27What are the visiting rules in New York nursing homes?
  8. 28Can a nursing home kick out a resident? Discharge rights in New York
  9. 29How do I make a complaint inside the nursing home?

Part 5

Strategies and tools

A step-by-step plan for when something goes wrong, a quick-reference chart of common problems, and forms you can tear out and use.

  1. 30When something goes wrong: a step-by-step plan
  2. 31Common problems at a glance
  3. 32Getting the medical records
  4. 33When should a family talk to a lawyer?
  5. 34Every-visit checklist
  6. 35Incident and conversation log
  7. 36Important contacts
  8. 37Glossary of terms and abbreviations