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Resident and Family Support Council
The Resident and Family Support Council is a virtual forum to bring people together across the State. The goal of this Council is to educate and connect people about issues relating to residents and families in the long-term care system. These meetings will occur the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month at 3:00 with the topics determined through attendee input. There will be time for question and answer and resource sharing at each meeting. If you are interested in receiving invitations for future meetings, please email lee.moriarty@Illinois.gov and you will be added to our email group.
Meetings
April 22, 2025
Topic: Listening To What Our Residents Want
Description: Residents building family and community together and supporting community on the inside and the outside.
On the fourth Friday of each month, we will be having conversations with residents throughout our state about what life is like for those living in long-term care. During this meeting we will focus on what the residents do out in the community to stay connected and their perspectives on how to integrate it into their long-term care community.
April 8, 2025
Topic: Learning of a Resource To Help When You Want To Leave the Long-Term Care Facility and Living in the Community
Description: People who live in long-term care facilities have the right to live in the least restrictive setting. Several years ago, there were two class-action lawsuits filed against the State of Illinois to promote just this. The class actions were settled over a decade ago by the parties resulting in the Colbert Consent Decree and the Williams Consent Decree, both designed to help people living in Cook County nursing facilities and people statewide in Specialized Mental Health Facilities get the assistance they need to move out of the facility and into independent living with the supports they need. During this meeting we will have Andrea Rizor and Sara Cohen from Equip for Equality speak to us about this program. Equip for Equality is just one of the law firms representing class members. We will also hear from someone who has been able to transition out of long-term care due to the assistance that this program has provided. Resources will also be shared to help you feel empowered to make your care choices when you want to live in the community instead of a nursing home.
- View Presentation Materials: Community Integration, Colbert Information, & Housing Resources.
Previous Meetings
March 25, 2025
Topic: Listening To What Our Residents Want – A Conversation with Those Living In Long-Term Care Regarding Accommodation of Needs
March 11, 2025
Topic: Legislative initiatives that are important to those living in long-term care.
- View Presentation Materials: Illinois Legislative Update
February 25, 2025
Topic: Listening To What Our Residents Want – A Conversation with Those Living In Long-Term Care Regarding Care Plans
February 11, 2025
Topic: Diverse Elders Coalition: advocates for the unique needs of our communities throughout our country.
January 28, 2025
Topic: Empowering residents through person-directed living
January 14, 2025
Topic: Learning About the Library and All It Has To Offer Even When You Are a Resident of a Long-Term Care Community!
December 10, 2024
Topic: Listening is Reading!
- View Presentation Materials - Services for Persons with Print Impairments and Braille and Talking Book Program for Aging Adults and Those With Low Vision
November 26, 2024
Topic: Second showing of the Thankfulness Meeting
November 12, 2024
Topic: Celebrating Thankfulness During the Thanksgiving Season
October 22, 2023
- Topic: Election Day is November 5th – Making sure that your right to vote is honored as a person living in Long-Term Care!
- View Presentation Materials - Voting Rights
October 8, 2024
- Topic: Hearing About the Importance of Resident Rights From Those Living in Long-Term Care
September 23, 2024
- Topic: Planning for Resident Rights Month!
September 10, 2024
- Topic: Responding to Respiratory Illnesses in Long-Term Care - A presentation on current respiratory illnesses circulating in Illinois and necessary actions you can take as residents and family members of residents in Long Term Care.
- View Presentation Materials: Respiratory Season Preparation in Long-Term Care
August 27, 2024
- Topic: Adult Protective Services – the entity that ensures those aging in Illinois are safe physically and financially!
- View Presentation Materials: Adult Protective Services New Provider Training
August 13, 2024
- Topic: Understanding What Benefits Exist for the Aging Veteran in Illinois
July 23, 2024
- Topic: Understanding Dementia-Related Behaviors – moving from drugs to investigating the why.
- View Presentation Materials - Understanding Dementia-Related Behaviors
July 9, 2024
Topic: Psychotropic Drugs: What You Need to Know About Standards of Care and Best Practices.
June 25, 2024
- Topic: Illinois Legislative Update – Discussion of aging related bills that have passed during the 2024 Spring Session.
- View Presentation Materials: IDoA Legislative Update
June 11, 2024
- Topic: Illinois Department on Aging – a great resource for all Illinoisans!
- View Presentation Materials: IDoA 2024 Program Overview Presentation
May 28, 2024
- Topic: The Montessori Method in Dementia Care
View Presentation Materials: Montessori Presentation Handout
May 14, 2024
- Topic: Learning About the Different Types of Long-Term Care Communities in Illinois
- View Presentation Materials: Facility Types with Laws, Regulations & Advocacy Agency and Website Resources
April 23, 2024
- Topic: Moving Forward in Long-Term Care!
April 9, 2024
- Topic: Changing the Culture of your Long-Term Care Community – a tool to assist in this endeavor
- View Presentation Materials: Artifacts Training and Handouts.
March 26, 2024
- Topic: Understanding the Personal Needs Allowance for Medicaid Residents in Long-Term Care Communities
- View Presentation Materials: Personal Needs Allowance
March 12, 2024
- Topic: Who are the Ombudsman and How They Help Those Living in Care Communities
February 27, 2024
- Topic: Senior Scams- Protecting yourself and those you love
- View Presentation Materials: How to Protect Yourself, Technology-Assisted Frauds and Scams
February 13, 2024
- Topic: My loved one has dementia… I need resources!
January 23, 2024
January 9, 2024
- Topic: Visiting with your loved one during the holidays - ideas of things to make all your visits more engaging.
November 28, 2023
- Topic: Let’s hear from you!
November 14, 2023
- Topic: Resident and Family Empowerment – a discussion regarding how to advocate for yourself.
October 24, 2023
- Topic: Staffing Needs to be addressed in LTC but are the new proposed federal regulations it?
- View Presentation Materials: PowerPoint 1, PowerPoint 2
October 10, 2023
- Topic: Your Way! Process for determining which Long/Short Term Home is right for You
- View Presentation Materials: Process for Achieving Your Way! Step-By-Step Process for Determining Which Home is Right for You
September 26, 2023
- Topic: The Point of View from the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Volunteers
September 12, 2023
- Topic: 25 Common Nursing Home Problems & How to Resolve Them
- View Presentation Materials: PowerPoint, Resource 1, and Resource 2.
August 22, 2023
- Topic: Understanding your Rights As a Resident In Long-Term Care - Continuing the conversation!
August 8, 2023
- Topic: Understanding Your Rights As a Resident In Long-Term Care
July 25, 2023
- Topic: The Fear of Retaliation is Real
July 11, 2023
- Topic: Making Life Easier Through Assisted Technology
June 27, 2023
- Topic: Good Reads & Good Listens—Recommended books and podcasts to help support your long-term care/aging journey.
- View Presentation Materials.
June 13, 2023
- Topic: Continuing Our Conversation About What Happens When I File a Complaint with the State About a Long-Term Care Facility?
May 23, 2023
- Topic: What Happens When I File a Complaint About Long-Term Care Facility with The State?
- Topic: Who’s Who in Long-Term Care
- View Presentation Materials
April 25, 2023
- Topic: Things I Wish I Knew When I Went Into a Long-Term Care Facility
- View Presentation Materials
April 11, 2023
- Topic: What Admission to a Long-Term Care Facility should look like: Contract Discussion?
March 28, 2023
- Topic: Using Federal “Care Compare” to Assess Nursing Home Ratings
March 14, 2023
- Topic: Did you know you can have a camera in your resident’s room?
- View Presentation Materials
February 28, 2023
- Topic: Person Centered/Directed End of life Care Presented by Nancy Flowers
- View Presentation Materials
February 14, 2023
- Topic: Advanced Directives - Uncomplicating Whats Seems Complicated!
- View Presentation Materials - POLST and Prairie State Legal Services
January 24, 2023
- Topic: Activities of Daily Living: What does this mean and what should it look like in long-term care?
January 10, 2023
- Topic: What is a Family Council, How do I Start One and what should it look like?
December 27, 2022
- Topic: The Gift of Resources to Empower II
- View Presentation Materials
December 13, 2022
- Topic: Staying Safe This Holiday Season
- View Presentation Materials - IDPH COVID-19 Update and LTC COVID Guidance
November 22, 2022
- Topic: Giving Thanks for Family Caregivers in Long-Term Care
November 8, 2022
- No meeting due to Election Day
October 25, 2022
- Topic: Meaningful Engagement During the Holidays
October 11, 2022
- Topic: Taking Your Loved One Out of The Facility: From a day outing to vacation, what do I need to know?
Sept 27, 2022
- Topic: Resident Rights Month – Celebrating an Empowered Life in Long-Term Care
- View Presentation Materials
September 13, 2022
- Topic: What Should Meaningful Engagement Look Like in Your Long-Term Care Facility?
August 23, 2022
- Topic: The Importance of Knowing Your Medications and What They Are For
August 9, 2022
- Topic: Being Self-empowered with your Dietary Choices
July 26, 2022
- Topic - Navigating Your Own Advocacy When You Live in A Long-Term Care Facility
- View Presentation Materials.
July 12, 2022
- Topic: Nursing Home Rate Reform in IL – paying our CNAs for years of service
- View Presentation Materials.
June 28, 2022
- Topic: You Can Be Treated for COVID – Understanding the various treatments and when/how these are administered
June 14, 2022
- Topic: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in Long-Term Care Facilities: Adult Protective Services Role and Ombudsman Role
May 10, 2022
- Topic: Resident & Family Support Council Year in Review- revisiting some of our most impactful conversations
April 26, 2022
- Topic: Sexual Expression in Long-Term Care Facilities
April 12, 2022
- Topic: Update on Legislation Pertaining to Long-Term Care
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
March 22, 2022
- Topic: Resident Rights – Your Rights as a citizen and a Facility Resident PART II
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
March 8, 2022
- Topic: Resident Rights - Your rights as a citizen and a facility resident PART I
- Topic: Resident Council Meeting - What are they for and what should they look like?
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
- Topic: Family Councils: A Way to Feel More Involved in Your Loved One's Facility
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
January 11, 2022
- Topic: Understanding Your Rights: The Right to Privacy and Confidentiality.
December 21, 2021
- Topic: The Gift of Resources to Empower
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
December 7, 2021
- Topic: We Want to Hear From You!
November 23, 2021
- Topic: Home For the Holidays- enjoying each other's company no matter where you live.
November 9, 2021
Topic: The How's and Why's of Guardianship
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
October 26, 2021
- Topic: Having your Person Centered Care Needs Met Through You Care Plan
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
October 12, 2021
- Topic: What is Person Centered Care?
September 28, 2021
- Topic: IDPH Update: It's Fall What should we be seeing?
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
September 14, 2021
- Topic: Understanding Guardianship in IL
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
August 31, 2021
- Topic: Dementia Friendly Illinois
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
August 17, 2021
- Topic: Hospice and Palliative Care – What's the difference?
August 3, 2021
- Topic: Understanding Dementia
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
July 20, 2021
- Topic: Care Plans – What are they and what do I need to know
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
June 22, 2021
- Topic: It's June… what should we be seeing
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
June 8, 2021
- Topic: Understanding Your Long-Term Care Discharge and Financial Rights
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
- Topic: Electronic Monitoring-Understanding Your Rights!
- Topic: We Want to Hear from You!
- Topic: Advocating For Yourself!
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
- Topic: The Different Types of Long-Term Care Communities Where To Go To Advocate For Yourself or Those You Care About
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
- Topic: IDPH Revised Guidance for Nursing Homes; released on March 19, 2021.
- View Presentation Materials HERE.
- Topic: Family's and Resident's Concerns Regarding Visitation in Long-Term Care Facilities.
- View Presentations Materials HERE.
