Supporting Resident and Family Councils
Nursing Home Resident Conference Call Series
For the past three years, the Consumer Voice has hosted a series of free national conference calls for residents of nursing homes. They provided hundreds of residents across the country with education and resources to become empowered advocates for quality care and quality of life, both for themselves and for their peers who lack the capacity to self-advocate. Click on the links below to learn more about each call and to access pertinent informational handouts.
Supporting Resident and Family Councils Inservice Training
Long-Term Care Ombudsman Guide to Developing and Supporting Family Councils (2003)
This guide offers practical suggestions for ombudsman to help families form strong family-run councils. The manual addresses creating a new council, maintaining a council and strengthening a council, with the primary focus on the development of a new council.
Family Guide to Effective Family Councils (2003) - This is a large document; please contact the NORC staff to receive a copy.
A nursing home family council that is run by family members can be a powerful force for improvement in a nursing home. This guide is designed to help families develop and maintain a strong, effective, family-run family council. It provides step-by-step guidance, as well as sample forms that can be adapted and used in your area.
Family Council Brochure (2010)
The Consumer Voice has created a new brochure to help educate on the topic of empowered, effective and independent family councils. The brochure contains information on what a family council is, rights and best practices, resources and grant opportunities, and examples of family council activities. This is an excellent resource for current family councils or those interested in starting a council. Check it out to learn more!
Visit the Consumer Voice website for more information on the development and support of resident and family councils.