This bill aims to enhance protections for residents of long-term care facilities in New Jersey by establishing clear guidelines regarding the management of their affairs and the admission process. It prohibits owners, administrators, directors, officers, or employees of long-term care facilities, as well as any affiliated individuals or entities, from acting as attorneys-in-fact for residents or individuals in the admission process. Additionally, any power of attorney executed by a principal naming such individuals is deemed invalid. The bill also mandates that the Superior Court, in consultation with the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults, determines the appointment of guardians for residents.

Furthermore, the bill requires the Department of Health to create a standard resident admission agreement that long-term care facilities must use, prohibiting them from requiring residents to sign any other documents at admission. It also ensures that arbitration agreements are presented separately and not as a condition of admission. Operators of long-term care facilities must inform residents and their representatives about the option to hire an attorney for Medicaid application assistance, and this notice must be prominently displayed. The Commissioner of Human Services is tasked with establishing uniform standards for non-attorney Medicaid application assistance, including training requirements and prohibitions on charging fees for such services.