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Q | Can a nursing home refuse to provide gender-affirming medical care, like hormone therapy?
Under the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (FNHRA)→, you have the right to receive necessary medical care, like gender-affirming hormone therapy. However, it is possible for a nursing home to refuse to provide gender-affirming care. In this case, you may ask a trusted person involved in your care to advocate for you by raising your concerns to the director of nursing or another administrator at the facility. Or a long-term care advocate, called an ombudsman, may be able to speak up for you.
Q | Can I decide who can and can’t visit me in a nursing home?
Yes, under the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (FNHRA), you have the right to designate who you want and do not want to visit you in a nursing home.
Q | What policies do nursing homes have about rooming assignments? Would my preferences be taken into consideration?
Nursing homes have different policies, so it would be important to ask about the process for making room assignments when you call the facility or take a tour. In many hospitals and long-term care facilities, trans and gender-expansive people may room with a person of the same gender identity. So, a trans man may room with a cis man, for example. Or they may opt for a single room. Your preferences should be taken into consideration. If they’re not, discuss your concerns with an administrator at the facility or find another facility that offers rooming assignments that accommodate residents of diverse gender identities.
Q | Am I allowed to request a new roommate if my roommate is treating me poorly?
Yes. Under the Federal Nursing Home Reform Act (FNHRA), a nursing home resident has the right “to be free from physical or mental abuse” and the right “to prompt efforts by the facility to resolve grievances the resident may have, including those with respect to the behavior of other residents.” So, if your roommate is treating you poorly in response to your gender identity, for example, ask about moving to a room with a new roommate or to a single room, if available.