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Residents’ Rights Month

October 1-31, 2024

About Residents’ Rights Month

October is Residents’ Rights Month, an annual event designated by Consumer Voice to honor residents living in all long-term care facilities and those receiving care in their home or community. It is an opportunity to focus on and celebrate the dignity and rights of every individual receiving long-term services and supports.

Residents have the right to self-determination and to use their voice to make their own choices. This year’s theme, The Power of My Voice, emphasizes self-empowerment and recognizes the power of residents being vocal about their interests, personal growth, and right to live full, enriching lives.

“I am trying to help by speaking out so that someone quiet and afraid will be spoken for.”
- Debbie, nursing home resident

Resident's Voice Challenge Entries

Long-term care residents from across the country get creative and reflect on this year’s Residents’ Rights Month theme.

Barnes Kasson PEERs

Darway PEERs

The Power of My Voice is My Strength

Sally Graves

View Essay

Feeling Empowered

Rose Moncato

View Letter

The Power of My Voice

Audrey Gardener

View Essay

To A Book

Beth Anderson

View Letter

Home Away From Home

Cynthia Edwards

View Essay

Gerald Brittian

Ruth Humphrey

Euvie McIntosh

Michael Moore

Champion of Champions

Darwin Music

Bob Pyewell, Tim Simmons, Johnny Crick, and Ernest Barber

Provo Rehab Facility Flag

Designed by Resident Council Members

View Additional Pictures

My Wake Up Call

Patricia Bartholomew

View Poem

The Sense of Humor

James Chappel

View Essay

Gratitude

Tim Conroy

View Essay

The Power of My Voice

Gladys Hoffler

View Letter

Visitors

Debra Keske

View Poem

Denise Meyer

Tampa, FL

Denise makes a difference by painting pictures for foster children to keep with them.

Rita Campbell

Tampa, FL

Rita makes a difference by crocheting items for others in her community.

Lori Eckerle

Promotional Materials

Use these materials to promote Residents’ Rights Month in your community.

History of Residents’ Rights Month

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Reasons Facilities Should Participate

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Sample Ombudsman Newsletter Article

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Sample Letter to the Editor

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Sample Press Release

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Proclamations

Ask your state and local officials to proclaim October Residents’ Rights Month.

GOVERNOR’S PROCLAMATIONMAYOR’S PROCLAMATION

Logo Usage Guideline

DOWNLOAD LOGODOWNLOAD LOGO ALTERNATE

We encourage wide promotion of Residents’ Rights Month. Please read our logo usage policy before using our logo.

Resources

Advocating for Rights and Better Care in Nursing Homes

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How to Solve Problems in a Nursing Home

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Taking Care of You: Tips for Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities

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My Personal Directions for Quality Living

Record your personal preferences to help your future caregivers learn about you. See a sample.

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Advocacy Suggestions for Nursing Home Residents and Their Families

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Put a STOP to Poor Care

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Communication Tips

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Products

Shop products for long-term care consumers and materials highlighting the importance of residents’ rights.

  • 2025 Staying Engaged Enrichment Booklet

    $10.00
  • Please Knock Door Hangers (Set of 100)

    $35.00
  • I Love Residents’ Rights Pencil Pouch

    $8.00
SHOP CONSUMER VOICE STORE

News & Events

Article in Dallas Morning News

The Senior Source, the long-term care Ombudsmen for Dallas County, was featured in the Dallas Morning News. The article highlighted how the Ombudsman program works to raise the voice of long-term care residents.

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Article in Tahlequah Daily Press

Residents’ Rights Month and the long-term care Ombudsman program were recognized in the Tahlequah Daily Press.

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Letter-to-the-Editor in the Times Leader

A letter-to-the-editor by a long-term care Ombudsman was published in the Times Leader.

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DC LTCOP Video on Residents’ Rights Month

The Washington, DC Long-Term Care Ombudsman program produced a video on Residents’ Rights Month.

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OH Governor Issues RRM Proclamation

The Governor of Ohio has issued a proclamation declaring October to be Residents’ Rights Month.

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Midlands, TX Residents’ Rights Gala

The AAA of the Permian Basin in Midland, Texas has organized a Residents Rights Gala, which features a corn hole tournament and karaoke contest. Residents can also win bingo prizes and door prizes by answering Resident’s Rights trivia. View the flyer below.

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Warwick, RI Mayor Issues Proclamation

The Mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island issued a proclamation declaring October to be Residents’ Rights Month.

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Article in the Daily State News

An article was published in the Daily State News in Delaware highlighting Residents’ Rights Month.

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Forum for Pennyrile Area Development District Residents

In Kentucky, the Pennyrile Area Development District with the Kentucky Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is hosting a forum to showcase long-term care consumers.

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IL LTCOP Sends Facility Administrators Letters on Residents’ Rights Month

The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program sent letters to nursing home administrators with information about how to celebrate Residents’ Rights Month.

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DC Mayor Issues Proclamation on RRM

The Mayor of Washington, DC issued a proclamation declaring October to be Residents’ Rights Month.

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NC Governor Issues Proclamation on RRM

The Governor of North Carolina issued a proclamation declaring October to be Residents’ Rights Month.

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San Francisco LTCOP Creates RRM Video

The San Francisco Long-Term Care Ombudsman program created a video to raise awareness about residents’ rights.

WATCH →

Social Media Feed

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a new list of Special Focus Facilities (SFF). SFFs are nursing homes with serious quality issues based on a calculation of deficiencies cited during inspections and the scope and severity level of those citations. CMS publicly discloses the names of the facilities chosen to participate in this program and candidate nursing homes. It is important to note that there are only 88 SFFs at one time, while there is a list of hundreds of SFF candidates, all of which meet the SFF criteria.See the list and learn how to use this information: theconsumervoice.org/news/new-list-of-special-focus-facilities-available/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Consumer Voice has had the pleasure to work with outstanding interns this spring. Their skills and knowledge have helped us enormously as we build our organization and address the serious and complex issues facing long-term care residents. We would like to thank Mark, Olu, and Kewan for their dedicated work and advocacy representing the interests of long-term care residents. ... See MoreSee Less
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MedPac report: “the lack of transparency in reporting of third-party transactions and related entities makes it difficult to know if we are accurately assessing the finances of nursing facilities.”Read more: theconsumervoice.org/news/medpac-releases-report-on-medicare-spending-in-long-term-care-facilities/ ... See MoreSee Less
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On April 7, 2025, a federal district judge in Texas vacated much of the recently finalized staffing rule, holding that CMS exceeded its authority when requiring that nursing homes have a registered nurse (RN) present twenty-four hour per day, seven days per week, and that nursing homes must provide at least a minimum amount of hours of care per day per resident. Consumer Voice has strongly supported the rule, estimated to save 13,000 resident lives each year, and is disappointed with the court's holdings. The case was brought by the major lobbying organizations for the nursing home industry, including the American Healthcare Association and Leading Age. Other portions of the rule, including facility assessment requirements and a requirement that states publicly report on nursing home Medicaid spending on direct care staff and support staff, were left in place by the court.It is unclear whether the Trump Administration will appeal this decision. Recently, it filed a brief in a similar case in federal court in Iowa, strongly defending the rule. Despite this ruling, nursing homes are still required to have sufficient staff to meet all nursing home residents' needs.theconsumervoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/AHCA-v-RFKJr-4.7.25.pdf ... See MoreSee Less
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Consumer Voice's Jocelyn Bogdan and Tina Steier attendNational Association of Activity Professionals (NAAP)NAAP) Conference ... See MoreSee Less
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