Long-term Care Residents Honored During Residents’ Rights Week, October 4-10, 2009

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NCCNHR

Hear Our Voice

Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities Speak Out About Residents’ Rights
Across the country, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities along with family members, ombudsmen, citizen advocates, facility staff, and others will honor the individual rights of long-term care residents by celebrating Residents’ Rights Week October 4-10, 2009. Designated by NCCNHR: The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, the week highlights the importance of listening to residents who live in our country’s nursing homes, assisted living, and board and care facilities.
"This year’s theme,
Hear Our Voice, emphasizes the fundamental rights of all long-term residents to be treated with the appropriate care they deserve and need to maintain quality of life," said Sarah F. Wells, Executive Director of NCCNHR. "Residents will be treated with dignity and respect of their full individuality; staff and residents will enjoy relationships that enhance their day to day lives; and the long-term care facility will operate more effectively with its day to day activities being based on and developed with consumer involvement when facilities care about their residents."
Many people care about residents - family members, citizen advocates, ombudsmen, facility staff, and other visitors. This care can be truly individualized and focused on each person’s needs and preferences.

In 1987, the Nursing Home Reform Law that was passed guarantees nursing home residents their individual rights, including but not limited to: individualized care, respect, dignity, the right to visitation, the right to privacy, the right to complain, and the right to make independent choices. Residents’ Rights Week raises awareness about these rights and pays tribute to the unique contributions of long-term residents.

The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program has worked tirelessly for over 30 years to promote residents’ rights daily. More than 8,000 volunteers and 1,000 paid staff are advocates for residents in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Authorized under the Older Americans' Act and administered by the Administration on Aging, the program also provides information on how to find a facility, conducts community education sessions, and supports residents, their families and the public with one-on-one consultation regarding long-term care.

"Residents’ Rights Week is an excellent opportunity to re-affirm our collective commitment to residents’ rights and to honor long-term care residents. We strongly encourage the community to participate in Residents’ Rights Week activities and to visit residents who continue to be important to our communities and society," Wells said.

A History of Celebrating Residents’ Rights Week

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information about Residents' Rights Week

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

NCCNHR

NCCNHR, The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
invites you to honor residents of long-term care settings by celebrating Residents’ Rights Week, the first full week of October (October 4-10, 2009).

This is an opportunity to show tribute to residents as well as support ombudsmen, citizen advocates, facility staff and family members who work to promote and support residents’ rights. Setting aside a week to focus on rights is an effective way to make sure that this important topic is never forgotten in your community, facility or state.

Residents’ Rights Week is designated by NCCNHR each year to highlight residents living in all long-term care
settings.

It is a time to reflect on the importance of the Nursing Home Reform Law of 1987 that promises quality of life and care and rights for each resident. During this week NCCNHR also gives special recognition to the work of thousands of individuals who collaborate daily to help assure that dignity, privacy and other basic human rights - often taken for granted in the community - are maintained as an integral part of the lives of residents living in long-term care settings.

Residents’ Rights Week originated in 1981 at a NCCNHR annual meeting. Several nursing home residents in attendance from across the United States decided that it would be special for all residents if time were set aside to celebrate residents and their rights, separate from annual National Nursing Home Week events always held in May. NCCNHR organized a successful petition drive to persuade Congress to designate a "Residents’ Rights Day."

Senator Claude Pepper (D-FL) and Senator David Pryor (D-AR) responded by introducing a Congressional Resolution for that purpose.

Since 1980, NCCNHR has preserved this tradition of celebrating Residents’ Rights, although we have extended the designation to a full week so that facility staff, family members, community advocates and ombudsmen will have flexible opportunities to conduct educational programs and festive events.

Every year, numerous states and communities designate Residents’ Rights Week! Celebrations and activities take place all over the country and include rallies, parties, training events, and more!

Thank you for working to make Residents’ Rights Week special and meaningful for all involved. Please remember to share information about how you will be celebrating Residents’ Rights Week. NCCNHR would like to highlight these celebrations on our website.

If you have questions, please call us at (202) 332-2275 ext. 222.