3722.15 Authorization to enter.

(A) The following may enter an adult care facility at any time:

(1) Employees designated by the director of health;

(2) Employees designated by the director of aging;

(3) Employees designated by the attorney general;

(4) Employees designated by a county department of job and family services to implement sections 5101.60 to 5101.71 of the Revised Code;

(5) Persons employed pursuant to division (M) of section 173.01 of the Revised Code in the long-term care facilities ombudsperson program;

(6) Employees of the department of mental health designated by the director of mental health;

(7) Employees of a mental health agency, if the agency has a client residing in the facility;

(8) Employees of a board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services, when authorized by section 340.05 of the Revised Code or if an individual receiving mental health services provided by the board pursuant to division (A)(8)(b) of section 340.03 of the Revised Code or a mental health agency under contract with the board resides in the facility.

These employees shall be afforded access to all records of the facility, including records pertaining to residents, and may copy the records. Neither these employees nor the director of health shall release, without consent, any information obtained from the records of an adult care facility that reasonably would tend to identify a specific resident of the facility, except as ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(B) The following persons may enter any adult care facility during reasonable hours:

(1) A resident’s sponsor;

(2) Residents’ rights advocates;

(3) A resident’s attorney;

(4) A minister, priest, rabbi, or other person ministering to a resident’s religious needs;

(5) A physician or other person providing health care services to a resident;

(6) Employees authorized by county departments of job and family services and local boards of health or health departments to enter adult care facilities;

(7) A prospective resident and prospective resident’s sponsor.

(C) The manager of an adult care facility may require a person seeking to enter the facility to present identification sufficient to identify the person as an authorized person under this section.

Effective Date: 09-05-2001