More than 122,000 Ohioans live in long-term care facilities, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
As baby boomers age, that number is only expected to increase. By 2050, the number of Ohioans aged 85 or older is projected to be 25% more than the 230,000 recorded in 2020, according to a 2023 report from the Department of Development.
A new statewide effort hopes to give individuals living in long-term care facilities more of a voice through the Ohio Residents’ Rights Council. It will bring over 900 nursing home residents together to discuss challenges they face.
Leilani Pelletier, the state’s long-term care Ombudsman, led the formation of the statewide council. She said it has the potential to lead to greater advocacy efforts.
“We could potentially be able to speak more clearly as a state for things like state legislation, federal legislation, and to speak as a unified entity across Ohio for those needs that are most important to Ohioans,” she said.
What is a Residents’ Rights Council?
Since the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987, long term care residents and their families have had the right to form councils to voice their concerns and shape their communities.
The state’s council will bring the presidents of those already existing nursing home councils together. They will meet quarterly, in hopes of increasing their impact.
“We want to make sure they have all the tools they need and they know what their rights are as a council, and so that they can fulfill their highest potential with the work of the council and their individual facilities,” Pelletier said.
Although no one resident’s experience is universal, Pelletier said every nursing home resident deserves to have a say in their care.
“This really is to make sure that individuals in nursing homes – through their resident council – get to be the leader in their own health care choices.”
Why are these councils needed?
Sometimes, it can be difficult for those transitioning to living in a long term care facility to be heard.
“They're not familiar with the landscape, they don't know all the terminology. This is a whole new world to them upon admission. And many times coming to that facility, they're coming after a significant amount of change and challenge just in their own life.”
Whether it’s a significant change in their health status or financial situation, Pelletier said moving into a nursing home can feel like learning a new language. After years of living independently, new residents need access to resources and community to navigate the tremendous change.
As Ohio’s aging population increases, Pelletier said making information available to residents is more urgent than ever.
“You should expect excellence in your care,” she said. “There's no reason anyone should have to settle for anything less than that. And that's what the resident council ultimately at the end of the day is there to ensure in each smaller facility, [and now] we're going to amplify that voice statewide.”
