Can the Nursing Home Refuse to Allow Me to Talk to My Grandmother?

While the coronavirus pandemic has curtailed access to residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, it should not prevent any contact. Legally, your grandmother should have the right to determine who she contacts and communicates with. If she is not competent to make that determination, then it’s up to her agents under her durable power of attorney and health care directive. Either way, if the facility is denying access, you should take action. I’d start by seeing if there’s an ombudsman who might intervene. To locate an ombudsman, go here: https://theconsumervoice.org/get_help. To learn more about ombudsmen, click here.