October - Resident Rights Celebration - Rights Currently Gone!
National Consumer Voice holds their annual Residents Rights Celebration in October. We will participate by bringing awareness that COVID took them away. Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities appear to continue a plan that keeps residents locked up for the most part and will continue to largely ignore Resident Rights, the only freedom to the outside world we see is very limited 30 minute visits at the facilities convenience. Just a few of their rights that we have seen ignored:
Residents put in most restrictive environment instead of least
Residents denied access at all times in person by their legal representatives (POA’s, Healthcare POA’s, Guardians, or other designated by resident)
Resident are under threat if the family takes them for a doctor appointment or out for a haircut, ride, or home visit they won’t be allowed to return to facility.
Residents visiting restricted due to facility taking COVID patients (maybe due to low bed count) and not meeting requirement of no COVID in facility.
Some refusing care packages for residents
As it stands right now, No plans for a Thanksgiving or Christmas with families in a safe way.
No plan for residents visits for those that are bedridden
A good article from AARP explaining the 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law you can read here
Ohio Codes on Resident Rights here