Important Resident Information
Resident Rights
People who live in long-term care facilities often feel more vulnerable than people who live independently in their own homes. The United States Congress recognized this vulnerability and in 1987 passed The Nursing Home Reform Act (which also encompasses assisted living facilities like McKinley Care), giving residents of long-term care homes additional legal protections, including a set of Resident Rights.
Resident Rights enable you to direct all aspects of your stay in an assisted living facility or nursing home. For example, you have the right to make decisions regarding your plan of care, how you conduct your personal life, and at what time and location you want to be discharged from the facility. You or your appointed representative may advocate for your rights as a resident.
Residents of McKinley Care Assisted Living will receive a copy of the Resident Rights upon moving into the facility. A copy may also be requested from the administrative team at any time, or you can find it here.
Anchorage Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Christina Saeteurn
Phone: (907) 334-4480 / (800) 730-6393
Email: akoltco@alaska.gov
A long-term care ombudsman represents Alaskans aged 60 and older who reside in an assisted living or nursing home. Federal and State laws authorize an ombudsman to identify, investigate, and resolve complaints made by, or on behalf of, seniors in long-term care facilities. State law also authorizes an ombudsman to resolve problems relating to the “residential circumstances” of seniors who live in their own homes.
Ombudsmen are all volunteers and are certified and supervised throughout Alaska to provide services and support to seniors. Should you wish to report an incident of concern to the local ombudsman (listed above), know that your name will be kept confidential unless you authorize its release.
In Alaska, assisted living communities are licensed to help people manage their medications, including:
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Reminding a resident to take their medication
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Read labels of over-the-counter and/or prescription medicines
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Open a medication container
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Observe a resident taking their medications
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Check a self-administered medication dosage against the medication label
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Reassure residents that the dosage is correct
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Direct or guide the hand of a resident, if the resident requests it
It is important to note that Alaska assisted living regulations do not allow McKinley Care staff to actively administer medications to residents. Each person, according to their care plan, will have specific instructions for assisting, reminding, or observing that person when medication is taken at the appropriate time.
Resident Maintenance Requests
​McKinley Care Assisted Living employs a full-time maintenance supervisor who is responsible for the safety and well-being of everyone within the physical aspects of the facility, including resident apartments. From top to bottom, the operations of our building fall under the expertise of the maintenance department, and we’re grateful for their hard work and dedication.
Our team takes all requests related to maintenance issues seriously and strives to complete all tasks, large and small, as quickly as possible. That said, some projects are more complex than others, and as such will require more time to complete.
If you have a maintenance issue that requires the assistance of a staff member, please call the McKinley Care switchboard at 907-268-6576 and tell the receptionist you have a maintenance need. All maintenance requests are added to our maintenance log, where we track each project through to completion.
Again, be aware that the McKinley Care maintenance department is also responsible for building-wide issues and those jeopardizing the health and safety of residents.
McKinley Care Assisted Living values your privacy
This agency is required by Federal (HIPAA) and state laws to maintain the privacy of each resident’s health information. These laws require us to give you this notice of privacy practices regarding the sharing of health care information as part of our legal duties and your rights as a consumer of McKinley Care regarding your health information. McKinley Care Assisted Living must follow the privacy practices found in our official Notice of Privacy Practices and Protected Health Information Policy & Procedures. Residents and/or their surrogates may request a copy of those policies and procedures at any time.
Have a concern?
McKinley Care Assisted Living is committed to providing all residents with compassionate care in a home-like environment. We do, however, recognize that issues will arise, and staff welcome respectful communication to resolve these concerns.
When a new resident arrives at McKinley Care Assisted Living, they or their designated representative will receive a full packet of information that includes guidelines for managing issues or concerns.
We encourage dialogue between McKinley Care’s administrative team and the concerned party to solve minor matters, but should the resident or representative desire, a Concern or Complaint Notification form will be provided for deeper discussion. This form can be requested from any member of the administration, and documents the following:
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The issue of concern
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Documentation that the concern was validated and addressed by staff
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Proof of a thorough investigation, conducted within 30 days
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Resolution and/or remediation was reached