A guide to records retention laws impacting Florida nursing homes. Let’s just get right to it. This blog provides a non-exhaustive summary of key records retention laws related to Florida nursing facilities. Scroll to the end for a downloadable PDF (in lieu of a 60 Second Takeaway video) which summarizes the records retention information discussed in this blog. 1. Medical Records A Florida nursing home must retain all medical records for a period of five (5) years from the date of discharge. In the case of a minor, the records must be retained for three (3) years after a resident turns eighteen (18). See 59A-4.118, Florida Administrative Code. 2. Medicaid-Related Records A Florida nursin

(Skip ahead for a "60 Second Takeaway" summary video of this blog) Nursing home records requests are a common occurrence in skilled nursing facilities. Many times, a nursing home records request is the precursor to litigation. With that in mind, who's responding to your nursing home records requests? Consider the following hypothetical scenarios: Marjory Smith passed away at the nursing home on September 1, 2017. On October 16, 2017, the nursing home receives correspondence from Marjory Smith’s son, Tom. Therein, Tom states that he held a power of attorney for his mother and, in his representative capacity, requests a copy of his mother’s nursing home records. Tom also demands that the reco