Sec. 19a-545. (Formerly Sec. 19-621e). Duties of receiver. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 19a-545. (Formerly Sec. 19-621e). Duties of receiver. (a) A receiver appointed pursuant to the provisions of sections 19a-541 to 19a-549, inclusive, in operating such facility, shall have the same powers as a receiver of a corporation under section 52-507, except as provided in subsection (c) of this section and shall exercise such powers to remedy the conditions which constituted grounds for the imposition of receivership, assure adequate health care for the patients and preserve the assets and property of the owner. If a facility is placed in receivership it shall be the duty of the receiver to notify patients and family, except where medically contraindicated. Such receiver may correct or eliminate any deficiency in the structure or furnishings of the facility which endangers the safety or health of the residents while they remain in the facility, provided the total cost of correction does not exceed three thousand dollars. The court may order expenditures for this purpose in excess of three thousand dollars on application from such receiver. If any resident is transferred or discharged such receiver shall provide for: (1) Transportation of the resident and such resident's belongings and medical records to the place where such resident is being transferred or discharged; (2) aid in locating an alternative placement and discharge planning in accordance with section 19a-535; (3) preparation for transfer to mitigate transfer trauma, including but not limited to, participation by the resident or the resident's guardian in the selection of the resident's alternative placement, explanation of alternative placements and orientation concerning the placement chosen by the resident or the resident's guardian; and (4) custodial care of all property or assets of residents which are in the possession of an owner of the facility. The receiver shall preserve all property, assets and records of residents which the receiver has custody of and shall provide for the prompt transfer of the property, assets and records to the alternative placement of any transferred resident. In no event may the receiver transfer all residents and close a facility without a court order and without preparing a discharge plan for each resident in accordance with section 19a-535.

      (b) Not later than ninety days after appointment as a receiver, such receiver shall take all necessary steps to stabilize the operation of the facility in order to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the residents of such facility. In addition, within a reasonable time period after the date of appointment, not to exceed six months, the receiver shall: (1) Determine whether the facility can continue to operate and provide adequate care to residents in substantial compliance with applicable federal and state law within the facility's state payments as established by the Commissioner of Social Services pursuant to subsection (f) of section 17b-340, together with income from self-pay residents, Medicare payments and other current income and shall report such determination to the court; and (2) seek facility purchase proposals. If the receiver determines that the facility will be unable to continue to operate in compliance with said requirements, the receiver shall promptly request an order of the court to close the facility and make arrangements for the orderly transfer of residents pursuant to subsection (a) of this section unless the receiver determines that a transfer of the facility to a qualified purchaser is expected during the six-month period commencing on the date of the receiver's appointment. If a transfer is not completed within such period and all purchase and sale proposal efforts have been exhausted, the receiver shall request an immediate order of the court to close the facility and make arrangements for the orderly transfer of residents pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

      (c) The court may limit the powers of a receiver appointed pursuant to the provisions of sections 19a-541 to 19a-549, inclusive, to those necessary to solve a specific problem.

      (P.A. 78-227, S. 5, 10; P.A. 80-309, S. 3; P.A. 89-350, S. 17; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 77; P.A. 04-16, S. 15; P.A. 07-209, S. 3.)

      History: P.A. 80-309 prohibited transferring patients and closing facility without court order and without preparing discharge plans for residents; Sec. 19-621e transferred to Sec. 19a-545 in 1983; P.A. 89-350 added Subsec. (b) re limitation of receivers' powers, designating prior provisions as Subsec. (a) and adding exception re Subsec. (b); June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 added new Subsec. (b) requiring receiver to make determination within 90 days as to whether facility can continue to provide adequate care to residents and to seek facility purchase proposals, authorizing receiver to request an immediate order of the court to close facility if receiver determines facility cannot continue to provide adequate care to residents and making receiver responsible for ensuring an orderly transfer of residents of facilities that are closed, redesignated former Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and made a technical change, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-16 made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 07-209 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provisions re receiver taking necessary steps to stabilize operation of the facility, and re receiver action within a reasonable time after the date of appointment, not to exceed 6 months, adding "promptly" and deleting "immediate" re receiver's request of court order to close facility, extending time period relating to transfer of the facility to a qualified purchaser from 90 days to 6 months from date of receiver's appointment, and substituting "such period and all purchase and sale proposal efforts have been exhausted" for "one hundred eighty days of the appointment of the receiver" re time period for requesting court order to close facility and make arrangements for transfer of residents, effective July 1, 2007.