Nursing Home Resident Council
A resident council is an organized group of people living in a nursing home that meets on a regular basis to discuss and address concerns about their rights, quality of care and quality of life. Residents have the right to participate in a resident council.
The federal Nursing Home Reform Act guarantees nursing home residents a number of important rights including the right to form and hold a resident council. The federal law includes the following requirements for resident councils:
- The nursing home must provide a resident council with a private space for meetings.
- The nursing home must take reasonable steps, with the approval of the resident council, to make residents and family members aware of upcoming meetings in a timely manner.
- Staff, visitors, and other guests may attend a resident council meeting only at the council's invitation.
- The nursing home must provide a designated staff person who is approved by the resident council to be responsible for providing assistance and responding to written request from the resident council.
- The nursing home must consider the views of the resident council and must respond promptly to the grievances and recommendations of the council, but a facility is not required to implement as recommended every request of the council.
Benefits of a Resident Council
Resident councils offer a forum for people living in nursing homes to become educated about their rights and how to effectively exercise rights. The council serves as a sounding board for solutions to shared problems, to initiate new ideas, and to communicate with the nursing home administrator and staff.
Nursing Home Family Council
A family council meets regularly to discuss and address concerns about resident rights, quality of care and quality of life. Families have the right to organize and participate in a family council.
- A family council may include family members, friends, or representatives of residents.
- The nursing home must provide a private place for the family council to meet.
- Staff, visitors, and other guests may attend a family council meeting only at the council's invitation.
- The nursing home must consider the views of the family council and must respond promptly to the grievances and recommendations of the council, but a facility is not required to implement as recommended every request of the council.
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