2014 Kansas Statutes
Chapter 75 STATE DEPARTMENTS; PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
Article 73 STATE LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN
75-7309 Ombudsman access to records and documents concerning residents.

75-7309. Ombudsman access to records and documents concerning residents. (a) With the consent of the resident of the facility, guardian of the resident or next of kin of a deceased resident, an ombudsman shall have access to all records and documents kept for or concerning the resident.

(b) An ombudsman shall have access to all records and documents kept for or concerning a resident (1) in any case in which the resident is unable to consent and has no guardian, and (2) in a case in which (A) access to the records and documents is necessary to investigate a complaint, (B) the resident is unable to consent and the guardian of the resident refuses to give permission for such access, (C) the investigating ombudsman has reasonable cause to believe that the guardian is not acting in the best interests of the resident, and (D) the state long-term care ombudsman has approved such access by the investigating ombudsman.

(c) In addition, in assisting a resident of a facility, an ombudsman shall have access to all records and documents of the facility which are relevant to such assistance to the extent necessary to carry out the provisions of the long-term care ombudsman act.

(d) A volunteer ombudsman shall have access to the plan of care and other records or documents kept for or concerning the resident to the same extent and under the same circumstances as an ombudsman under this section, except that a volunteer ombudsman shall not have access to any such other records and documents that are privileged medical records.

History: L. 1980, ch. 291, § 5; L. 1990, ch. 328, § 9; L. 1998, ch. 101, § 10; June 14.