Despite our best efforts to provide key resources to nursing home residents across the country, there is always new information to share. While there may be many in-person trainings, conferences, and plenty of people to go to for help (such as your ombudsman), there are also a huge number of online resources for nursing home residents. Here are a few you may not know about that we’d like to share.
Your Right to Vote
It’s that time again! 2024 is a major election year and just because you are now living in a nursing home or other care facility does not mean that you can’t vote. In fact, it is one of your fundamental rights as a U.S. citizen and all nursing and care facilities are required to ensure you can exercise your right to vote.
It is against the law for your long-term care facility to deny, restrict, or coerce you in any way regarding your vote.
In fact:
- §483.10(b) Exercise of Rights. The resident has the right to exercise his or her rights as a resident of the facility and as a citizen or resident of the United States.
- §483.10(b)(1) The facility must ensure that the resident can exercise his or her rights without interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal from the facility.
- §483.10(b)(2) The resident has the right to be free of interference, coercion, discrimination, and reprisal from the facility in exercising his or her rights and to be supported by the facility in the exercise of his or her rights as required under this subpart.
Learn more about voting on the National Consumer Voice voting web page.
Emergency Checklist
It’s never a bad time to prepare. Especially since many states (like California) are susceptible to major natural disasters and we never know when they will strike. The National Consumer Voice has multiple emergency preparedness resources, including a fact sheet, and an emergency plan checklist courtesy of CMS.
Some items on the Emergency Plan Checklist include familiarizing yourself with your long-term care facility’s plan. Learn they emergency evacuation plan, understand how the emergency alarm system works, where to go in case of emergency, how your family will be informed and if they can take you home with them, how medicines and other medical needs will be handled, and so much more. This is a great resource to have on hand when looking for nursing homes and meeting with staff.
Aging in Place Resources
A nursing home is not always the answer! With the right resources and good preparation, you can age at home, comfortable, and surrounded by everything that is familiar to you. This is not always an option for those who need extensive medical attention, but is something you can plan and prepare for as a best case scenario or plan A, barring any unexpected health changes.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has some great resources to help you make aging in place a realistic option, including tips on planning ahead, finding the proper support, making your home safe, and even cost considerations. Review the NIA aging in place website for more information!
Brain Health How-To
As you age, your brain health is just as important as your physical health. Brain health includes general cognitive health as well as motor, emotional, tactile, and sensory functions. Keeping these areas of your brain function healthy improves balance, emotional interpretation skills, hearing and sight, mobility, and memory.
Though we may not have complete control of our brain health, there are a number of things to do regularly that can help keep our brains as healthy as possible. These include:
- Regular physical exercise
- Healthy eating habits
- Engaging your mind through engaging in new hobbies, learning new skills, and keeping your hands busy with crafts and more.
- Staying connected with friends, families, and preferred hobbies and social groups
- Understand how certain medications affect mental health and address any issues (depression, anxiety, risk of stroke) as soon as possible
For more information, visit the NIA brain health website.
Gharibian Law Blog
As always, Gharibian Law is here for you! Our blog has a huge number of resources, news, and commentary on health, advocacy, policy, rights, and the nursing home industry. We encourage you to take advantage of the many posts covering everything from family councils, to resident rights, to current news and ways to get involved.
If you or a loved one have been the victim of elder or nursing home abuse or neglect, call Gharibian Law (866-583-1965) today for a FREE consultation and the best legal representation.
