Join us for
"Caregiver Approaches to
Nursing Home Concerns"
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Centennial Hall, St. John's Hopsital
The I-CARE Long-Term Care Ombudsman program will offer a free workshop for family members of nursing home residents on Saturday, September 20, 2008 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in Springfield. "Caregiver Approaches to Nursing Home Concerns," will provide family members with information that they can use to access both local and statewide resources to help address concerns related to nursing home care.
Featured speakers at the event include Erin Ruebbelke, Program Specialist for the Illinois Attorney General's Office; David Vinkler, Associate State Director of Advocacy for AARP; and a panel of community ombudsmen from the I-CARE program. Ms. Ruebbelke will discuss the Resident's Right to Know Act and provide information that will help attendees learn how to access the Attorney General's office. Mr. Vinkler will speak on current AARP legislative initiatives and will tell family members how they can join advocacy efforts for seniors in Illinois. Finally, a panel featuring Regional Ombudsman Brigit Dyer-Reynolds and community ombudsmen from the I-CARE program will offer a discussion of common problems in nursing homes and will provide suggestions for resolving some of these issues on the local level.
The I-CARE Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is a federally mandated program devoted to protecting the rights of nursing home residents. I-CARE provides services to nursing home residents and their families in Sangamon, Macoupin, Montgomery, Morgan, Scott, Jersey, Christian, Mason, Greene, Cass, Menard, and Logan counties. Funding for this event is provided by a grant from the Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland.
The workshop, being held in Centennial Hall at St. John's Hospital, is free and open to the public. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Illinois Citizen's for Better Care's book "Smart Care: A Guide for Illinois Families with a Loved One in a Nursing Home." Lunch will be provided free of charge. Reservations are required no later than Wednesday, September 17, 2008. For more information, please call (217) 523-8419 or (800) 842-8538.
WHAT IS ICARE?I CARE stands for Illinois Community Advocates for Residents' Empowerment. I CARE is a long-term care ombudsman program mandated under federal and state law to protect, defend and advocate for residents' rights in long-term care facilities.
The I CARE program provides services to 8000 residents in 12 Central Illinois counties.
I CARE is a volunteer-based program and is sponsored by the Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation. Our volunteer advocates are recruited from all walks of life and are from local communities. These volunteers trained and certified by the Department on Aging act as community advocates who visit residents and handle complaints. Many advocates are members of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Illinois Retired Teachers Association (IRTA), League of Women Voters, church groups and other community organizations.
WHAT IS THE OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM?
To address the concern of residents' rights, the ombudsman program was created in the early 1970's by the National Older Americans Act to protect the rights of nursing home residents by investigating and resolving their complaints. Currently, there are seventeen regional ombudsman programs throughout the State of Illinois that work under the auspices of the Illinois Department on Aging. The ombudsman program assures residents receive quality care and a dignity of life at the highest practical level. Certified ombudsmen visit residents age 60 or older in long-term care facilities monthly t
- Inform residents of their rights;
- Inform residents and families of the right to organize; and
- Resolve problems.
SHED THE LIGHT OF TRUTH, RESIDENTS DESERVE QUALITY CARE
Within the State of Illinois, over 120,000 Illinoisans reside in 1,100 long-term care facilities. Many people believe that once they enter a nursing home, they lose rights or their rights are altered in some manner-this is not true.
Nevertheless, while a resident's lifestyle does experience some change, that person never forfeits any rights whatsoever. But, due to serious systemic problems that exist within too many nursing homes, residents' rights are violated everyday.
In fact, according to a report by the Illinois Department of Public Health, nearly 85 percent of long-term care facilities have conditions in which there is a potential for harm.
A resident within a long-term care facility maintains the basic constitutional and civil rights assured to all citizens. Fundamental rights guaranteed to every resident are:
- The right to choice and autonomy to the maximum extent possible;
- The right to safety and good care at the highest practical level of functioning and well being possible; and
- The right to clear and complete information about his/her medical condition and treatment.
HOW TO CONTACT 'I CARE'
I CARE seeks to protect the rights and liberties of the elderly and most frail residents of Illinois. Persons interested in learning more about I CARE, or wish to become a volunteer advocate, should contact I CARE toll free at (800) 842-8538 or by e-mail at icare@icare.ws.
| 
