Ohio Department of Aging
Site MapSite HelpContact Us Text Size:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2007
COLUMBUS - In Ohio, an estimated 80,000 residents live in nearly 1,000 nursing homes, and approximately 33,000 more live in assisted living facilities. National Long-Term Care Residents' Rights Week is observed from October 7-13 to celebrate these citizens and to preserve their roles as community members and citizens, including the right to have a say in their care.
"All residents should be aware of their rights so they may be empowered to live with dignity and self-determination," said Barbara E. Riley, Director of the Ohio Department of Aging. "I want to thank Ohio's nursing homes and our regional ombudsmen for working together to ensure the rights of nursing home residents."
The federal Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 guarantees residents their individual rights in order to promote and maintain their dignity and autonomy. Among these rights are the right to have visitors and to have their own belongings, the right to know their health conditions and the right to decide how they want to spend their days.
"The theme of Residents' Rights Week - Advancing Excellence: A Resident's Perspective on Quality - emphasizes the importance of affirming these rights through facility practices, public policy and resident-centered decision-making that impacts both quality of care and quality of life," added Beverley Laubert, State Long-term Care Ombudsman.
In Ohio, more than a third (36.7 percent) of licensed nursing homes are doing their part to ensure their residents' quality of life by voluntarily enrolling in the Advancing Excellence in America's Nursing Homes campaign, a coalition of long-term care providers, caregivers, medical and quality improvement experts, government agencies, consumers and others, working to improve the quality of care and quality of life for those living or recuperating in America's nursing homes. Also joining the campaign are approximately 180 Ohioans representing long-term care consumers, family members, ombudsmen and others concerned about nursing home quality.
A Residents' Rights brochure is available from Ohio's Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-800-282-1206. Ohio's Ombudsmen advocate for people receiving long-term care. They work with providers, residents, their families and other representatives to resolve problems and concerns. Ombudsmen link residents with services or agencies, inform consumers about their rights, offer advice on selecting long-term care providers and provide information and assistance with benefits and insurance.
About ODA
The Ohio Department of Aging provides leadership for the delivery of services and supports that improve and promote quality of life and personal choice for older Ohioans, adults with disabilities, their families and their caregivers. Working with 12 area agencies on aging and other community partners, the department offers home- and community-based Medicaid waiver programs such as PASSPORT, the long-term care ombudsman program, the Golden Buckeye Card and more. Visit www.goldenbuckeye.com.
Contact:
Online Contact Form…
Ohio Department of Aging