Residents’ Rights Month Emphasizes Importance of Residents Knowing Their Rights

Posted on behalf of Jeff Pitman on October 10, 2018 in Nursing Home Abuse
Updated on April 25, 2024

sunny day with elderly peopleThe National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care has designated the month of October as Residents’ Rights Month. The goal is to honor all residents of long-term care facilities and promote awareness of dignity, respect and the rights of every resident.

Long-term care residents have numerous rights under the Nursing Home Reform Law – these rights are focused on the individual dignity and self-determination of residents. By law, nursing homes are required to promote and protect these rights.

This year’s theme for Residents’ Rights Month is “Speak Up: Know Your Rights and How to Use Them.” The theme is about the importance of long-term care residents:

  • Being aware of and informed about their rights
  • Being engaged in their care to ensure they have a high quality of life and care
  • Having confidence to speak out about what matters to them

Resources Packets

The Consumer Voice developed a packet to help plan events for Residents’ Rights Month. The packet can be downloaded from the Consumer Voice website and it includes training tools and resources, promotional materials and activities for celebrating this month.

Some of these materials include:

  • Sample press releases
  • Fact sheets on residents’ rights in nine different languages
  • Sample letter to the editor
  • Article on the reasons why facilities should participate
  • Communication tips
  • Logos
  • Flyers
  • Fact sheets on solving problems in nursing homes and getting quality care
  • Fact sheet on addressing concerns with a Home Health or Home Care Agency

Resident’s Voice Challenge

Residents can submit essays, poems, artwork or videos related to this year’s theme for Residents’ Rights Month. These submissions can answer any of the following questions:

  • What do you want people to know about how you like to receive care?
  • What are some examples of ways you exercise your rights?
  • What do you do to promote quality care, including ways you work with staff, family and other residents?
  • What advice do you have for new residents on exercising their rights?

Submissions can be mailed or emailed to Consumer Voice to the attention of Resident’s Voice Submission.

Activities for This Month

The Consumer Voice has a list of various activities for residents to participate in with staff members and ombudsmen, including town hall meetings, meals and menu planning, bingo, learning circle exercise, residents’ rights rally, and many others.

There are also activities for staff members and ombudsmen of long-term care facilities, including open houses, displays at local shopping malls, care planning, and communicating community standards.

Contact a Trusted Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

The experienced lawyers at PKSD have detailed knowledge of the rights of nursing home residents and how nursing homes are supposed to promote and protect those rights.

If any of your loved one’s rights are violated at a nursing home, you may have legal options. Our Wisconsin nursing home abuse lawyers may be able to pursue fair compensation for the damages you have suffered.

Complete a Free Case Evaluation form today or call us at 414-333-3333 .

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