Across the country, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities along with family members, long-term care ombudsmen, citizen advocates, facility staff and others honor the individual rights of long-term care residents by celebrating Residents’ Rights Month. Residents’ Rights Month is an annual event held in October by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (the Consumer Voice) to celebrate and focus on awareness of dignity, respect and the value of long-term care residents.

The theme for Resident’s Rights Month 2011 is “Welcome Home: Creating Connections Between Residents and the Community,” which works to educate the community about residents’ rights and increasing community involvement with residents.

“Resident’s Rights Month is an excellent opportunity to re-affirm our collective commitment to residents’ rights and to honor long-term care residents,” said Sarah Wells, executive director of The Consumer Voice. “We strongly encourage the community to participate in Residents’ Rights Month activities and to visit residents who continue to be important to our communities and society.”

Davis County Health Department echoes Sarah Wells’ invitation to visit our long-term care facilities during Residents’ Rights Month and participate in planned activities. This is a wonderful time to reach out to our long-term care residents and show our support. You will not only enrich their lives, you will also be touched by the richness of their lives and the contributions they have made in our community.

The Nursing Home Reform Law, passed in 1987, guarantees nursing home residents their individual right, 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 who have made their home in other types of facilities maintain their rights as U.S. Citizens. Residents’ Rights Month 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 for more than 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.

A special thanks to our Davis County volunteer ombudsmen and the long-term care facilities, their administrators, and staff, for their tireless efforts in supporting residents’ rights. For information concerning Davis County’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman program and residents’ rights, contact Kim Cannon at 801-525-5067.