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 mandates that the Superior Court, in consultation with the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults, must determine whether to appoint a guardian from among these individuals.

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 part of the admission agreement. At the time of admission, residents or their representatives must receive a notice informing them of their right to hire an attorney for Medicaid application assistance, which must be prominently displayed in the facility. The Commissioner of Human Services is tasked with establishing uniform standards for non-attorney Medicaid application assistors, including training requirements and prohibitions on charging fees for their services.