Giving Voice to Quality - Consumer Voice

This project was made possible by funding from the Retirement Research Foundation. It aims to provide nursing home residents and family members with the information they need to recognize and insist on quality and the strategies necessary for achieving quality, resident-directed practices at their own facilities. The project also provides information and materials to long-term care ombudsmen and community advocacy organizations to bolster their work with residents and family members.

The project trained nursing home residents and their families nationwide through: a series of six teleconference seminars during 2006; a web-based consumer education center and the development and electronic distribution of materials to seminar participants. See Project Overview for more detail. Read Grant Highlights by The Retirement Research Foundation.

Tele-conference Seminars: This project ended December 2006 with more than 1,000 participants receiving education from the training calls. Please click on the call buttons below to look at the consumer friendly materials on each topic that were designed to provide information about quality care practices. Materials specific to each topic, include agenda for the call, speaker bios, handouts and Evaluation forms.

Incontinence and Quality Care

Incontinence and Quality Care: Sixth topical call in the series - Wednesday, November 8 at 3:00 p.m. EST

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Eating with Dignity: Nutrition and Hydration

Nutrition and Hydration: Fifth topical call in the series - Wednesday, October 11 at 3:00 p.m. EST

  • Register Now! Registration form available in two formats - PDF file and MS Word document. (Please note Ombudsman registration closed as of 10/6/06.)
  • Agenda
  • Speaker Dr. Jeanie Kayser-Jones, Professor, Gerontological Nursing and Medical Anthropology, University of California, San Francisco; Bio
  • Best Practice Provider: Connie McDonald, Administrative Director for MaineGeneral Rehabilitation and Nursing Care; Bio
  • Malnutrition and Dehydration Fact Sheet
  • Participant evaluation - Following the Conference Call, please fill out and return to Consumer Voice - Two formats available: PDF file and MS Word document
  • Minutes of the Educational Call
  • Additional Resources
  • Kayser-Jones, Jeanie, Pengilly, Kathryn. (1999). Dysphagia among nursing home residents: Consequences and recommendations. Geriatric Nursing, 20(2), 77-82.
  • Kayser-Jones, Jeanie. (1999). Reflections on a mother’s death. Geriatric Nursing, 20(2), 83.
  • Kayser-Jones, Jeanie. (2006). Preventable causes of dehydration. American Journal of Nursing, 106(6), 45.
  • Mentes, Janet. (2006). Oral hydration in older adults. American Journal of Nursing, 106(6), 40-49.
  • Follow-up call November 1st - notes of the follow-up call

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Staff Communication and Respectful Work Environments

Communication: Fourth topical call in the series - Wednesday, September 13 at 3:00 p.m. EST

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Affirming Dignity and Individuality: A Look at Residents' Rights

Residents' Rights: Third topical call in the series - Tuesday, August 22nd at 3:00 p.m. EST

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Quality Care Practices Preclude Restraint Use

Restraint-Free Nursing Home Care: Second topical call in the series - Thursday June 29th at 3:00 p.m. EST

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Resident Routines, Preferences and Potential: Hearing Resident Voices through Care Planning

Conference Call Seminar Tuesday, May 9, 3:00 p.m. EST

  • Agenda
  • Person-directed information sheet by Lynda Crandall
  • Bed-side information sheet from Providence Benedictine Nursing Center:
  • Blank sample 1
  • Blank sample 2
  • Completed example - shows how the bed-side information sheet is used.
  • Gail Hendricks - Presenter bio
  • Cris Parque - Presenter bio
  • Lynda Crandall, GNP - Speaker bio
  • Follow-up call on Resident-Directed Care Planning June 1, 2006.
    If you participated in the first call on Resident-Directed Care Planning on May 9, 2006, and have more questions about Resident-Directed Care Planning and advocacy strategies related to this topic, you are invited to join the follow-up call for a dialogue with conference presenters. If you have spoken with nursing home staff who are interested in implementing Resident-Directed Care Planning, they are free to join the call as well. More information, please e-mail Jessica Brill at voice@theconsumervoice.org.

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