Fact Sheets

Adult Foster Care: In Michigan, Adult Foster Care (AFC) homes are licensed facilities that provide supervision, personal care, and protection as well as room and board.  Services are provided 24 hours a day, 5 or more days a week, and for 2 or more consecutive weeks for payment.  Click here for the full fact sheet.

Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Order: Under Michigan law, a do-not-resuscitate order is a voluntarily signed form by either a person, a patient advocate, or a guardian. The order states that if the person’s heart or breathing stops, there should be no resuscitation efforts made. Resuscitation efforts include mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and defibrillation.  Click here for the full fact sheet.

Family Councils in Nursing Homes: A family council is a group of family members, as defined by the resident, of the same nursing home that meets on a regular basis to discuss issues and concerns regarding the home and plan activities for residents. The council is independent; it is organized by family members, not by the nursing home.  Click here for the full fact sheet.

Homes for the Aged: In Michigan, Homes for the Aged (HFAs) are licensed facilities that provide room and board, protection, supervision, assistance and supervised personal care to
residents 55 years of age or older.  Click here for the full fact sheet

How to File a Nursing Home Complaint: A complaint can be about any aspect of a resident's life in the nursing home including whether there are enough staff, how staff treat the resident, the quality or choice of food, residents' rights, or quality of care.  The State will only investigate complaints related to violations of the extensive state or federal laws that govern almost every aspect of nursing home life.  Your complaint can be about more than one issue.  Click here for the full fact sheet.

Involuntary Discharge from a Nursing Home: An involuntary discharge occurs when a resident is required to leave the nursing home and is not allowed to return.  This can occur when the nursing home issues a written notice or when staff pressure the resident to leave.  Click here for the full fact sheet.

Leaving the Nursing Home During the Day or Overnight: Nursing home residents generally have the right to leave the nursing home during the day to participate in community activities, go to a sporting event, go shopping, participate in religious services, visit with family, eat lunch or dinner at a restaurant, or go to a medical appointment.  Click here for the full fact sheet. 

Medicaid Level of Care Determination: The Level of Care Determination (LOCD) is the process the Michigan Medicaid program uses to decide if a person needs the kind of care provided in a nursing home or the services of two programs (MI Choice and PACE) that help people who need long term care but want to remain in the community.  Click here for the full fact sheet.

Resident Councils in Nursing HomesA resident council is an independent group of nursing home residents who meet on a regular basis to discuss concerns and suggestions and to plan activities that are important to them.  Click here for the full fact sheet.

Smoking in a Nursing Home: Since 2010, Michigan Law has prohibited indoor smoking in public spaces including nursing homes.  Nursing homes can no longer have designated indoor "smoking rooms".  Click here for the full fact sheet. 

What Residents (and Families) Need to Know when Moving into a Nursing Home: Do people living in a nursing home have rights as a resident?  Click here for the full fact sheet.

When a Nursing Home Closes: A nursing home may make the decision to close voluntarily for a number of different reasons, but usually it is due to finances or a low number of residents in the building.   Click here for the full fact sheet.