Welcome Nursing Home Residents,
Families and Friends
Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes is the first
national quality initiative recognizing that having nursing home residents
and their families as participants is a key part of improving the quality of
care in nursing homes.
Residents know best what life is like in a nursing home. Nursing home
staff depend on you and your family and friends, when appropriate, to tell
them how they can best meet your needs. Together with staff from all
departments, you can be involved in improving the quality of care and quality
of life of those who live and work in nursing homes. Your relationship with
staff is key to good care.
The nursing homes that participate in the Advancing Excellence Campaign
are voluntarily signing up to improve working conditions for staff and improve
the quality of care provided. Each home is asked to choose three goals to work
on during the next year such as reducing the prevalence of pressure ulcers or
use of physical restraints or encouraging the use of consistent assignment.
At some nursing homes, the nursing home administrator, corporate office
or board of directors will make the decision to participate and select the
nursing home’s goals. At other homes, residents, families and staff members may be
involved in the decision to participate and the selection of goals on which to
work. In either case, the involvement and support of all residents will be
important as nursing homes work to improve care and quality of life. Your
ideas and suggestions about how to achieve your nursing home’s goals are very
important to the nursing home’s leaders and staff, and quality improvement
efforts.
If you become a Campaign participant, you would:
- Receive regular updates related to Campaign activities
- Participate in Campaign activities
- Increase your knowledge about nursing home quality
- Receive information on quality improvement efforts, including
those specific to the goals your nursing home is working on
- Learn how to ask your nursing home to become a Campaign participant
- Become part of a national quality initiative that has helped
nursing homes improve care and get needed resources to help them succeed.
Participants in the Campaign may include residents and anyone who cares
about nursing home quality. Residents and others
interested in quality of care and quality of life for nursing home residents
are encouraged to register to join and become a participant in the
campaign. There is no cost to join.
Consumer Tip Sheet Press Release
The Guide for
Consumer Participation on the Resources - Consumer Action Plan page has
lots of ideas for residents, family members, Ombudsmen and others on ways to
participate.
Become a partner in quality nursing home care with the
Tip Sheet for
Residents and Family Members.