HF4275 - Older and Vulnerable Adults Rights and Protection Act of 2018

• Establishes comprehensive patient and resident rights protections across health care facilities, nursing homes, home care providers, and assisted living establishments, including rights to appropriate care, freedom from maltreatment, privacy, grievances, and communication.

• Creates new enforcement mechanisms allowing patients, residents, and interested persons to bring civil actions for violations of health care bill of rights, recovering actual damages or $5,000 (whichever is greater) plus attorney fees and costs.

• Implements stronger maltreatment reporting requirements for vulnerable adults, including mandatory reporter obligations, common entry point screening systems, investigation timelines, and provisions for vulnerable adult notification and appeal rights.

• Establishes assisted living licensure effective January 1, 2020, replacing housing with services registration with a single license for both housing and services; requires dementia care certification and core criteria for all providers serving residents with dementia.

• Prohibits retaliation against patients, residents, employees, and interested persons who report suspected maltreatment or advocate for resident rights, with rebuttable presumption that adverse actions within 90 days are retaliatory.