The toll that Covid-19 has taken on long-term care(LTC) residents is staggering, from increased likelihood of elder abuse to being targets for scams related to COVID-19. The risks that COVID-19 placed on the health of older adults and the ways it swept through long-term care homes caused residents to lose many of their rights. As…
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Residents have rights. This is the core of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, which is dedicated to advocating for the rights of residents. During this pandemic, we have seen rights in direct conflict with health and safety precautions against COVID-19. Most notably is a resident’s right to have visitors. Since March of 2020, visitation guidance…
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued their emergency regulation requiring healthcare workers to become fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4, 2022. VOYCE advocates on behalf of residents in long-term care and we are pleased to see that this regulation not only includes long-term care clinical and non-clinical staff, but also…
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This Holiday Season VOYCE will embark on a mission to make sure that every long-term care resident in St. Louis receives a greetings card. Approximately 15,000 residents will receive a card, ensuring that they know the community of St. Louis is thinking of them! VOYCE will work with community partners to produce and deliver the…
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October is Residents’ Rights Month! This month, we are raising awareness of the core rights that every long-term care resident is entitled to receive. Residents’ rights are guaranteed by the federal 1987 Nursing Home Reform Law. The law requires long-term care communities such as skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and residential care facilities to…
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September 21st is World Alzheimer’s Day. The aim of World Alzheimer’s Day is to raise awareness of the disease, common symptoms, and risk factors. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain condition that gradually deteriorates memory and cognitive abilities, among other things. It is the most frequent cause of dementia in older individuals. It is also…
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Planning for the end of life is essential to ensure that our requests are respected and legally protected. It’s important to learn about the legal documents to have in place to ensure our end-of-life wishes are respected and protected. As we journey towards the end of life this can contribute towards peace of mind and…
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