Governor Proclaims Rights Of Nursing Home Residents

Press Release, Sep 26, 2006

On September 20 in the presence of local nursing home residents, Governor Dave Heineman signed a proclamation designating October 1-7 as Residents’ Rights Week in Nebraska. Residents’ Rights Week highlights the importance of quality care and quality of life for the over 15,000 Nebraskans who currently reside in nursing homes.

According to Cindy Kadavy, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, "Individuals residing in Nebraska's nursing homes are one of our state's greatest resources. These residents include many whose dedicated service during times of war helped to protect the freedoms we enjoy today. They are our family members, our friends and our neighbors."

During Residents’ Rights Week, the Nebraska Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program helps focus attention on the rights of residents to make choices about their care and treatment, to be treated with respect and dignity and to have their concerns heard and addressed," said Cindy Kadavy, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. The volunteers and staff of the Ombudsman Program, a program of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, "assist residents in resolving concerns through the use of education, advocacy and other problem-solving strategies," adds Kadavy. Read more at hhs.state.ne.us