Long Term Care Residents' Rights Week 2007

Residents' Rights Week Declaration

The State of Delaware Office of the Governor issued the following statement in observance of Residents' Rights Week 2007:

WHEREAS, we join together in Delaware and throughout the nation to  recognize and celebrate the rights of all citizens living in long-term care facilities, and to testify that these fundamental human rights will not diminish with age or disability but will be preserved and upheld each day; and

WHEREAS, there are nearly 5,000 individuals living in 49 nursing homes in Delaware and 2,200 individuals living in 134 board and care and assisted living facilities in Delaware; and

WHEREAS  Federal Nursing Home Reform Laws and Delaware laws affirm and honor our long-term care residents with the respect they deserve, the quality of  care they need and the quality of  life we all desire; and

WHEREAS, all residents should be aware of their rights so they may be empowered to live with dignity and self-determination; and

WHEREAS, we wish to honor and celebrate these citizens, to recognize their rich individuality, and to reaffirm their rights as community members and citizens, including the right to have a say in their care; and

WHEREAS, individuals and groups across the country will be celebrating Residents’ Rights Week with the theme– “Advancing Excellence: A Resident’s Perspective on Quality”– to emphasize the importance of affirming these rights through facility practices, public policy, and resident-centered decision-making that impacts quality of care and quality of life

Now, therefore, We, Ruth Ann Minner, Governor, and John C. Carney, Jr., Lieutenant Governor do hereby declare October 7 – 13, 2007 Residents’ Rights Week in the State of Delaware and urge all Delawareans to recognize the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987 during this week and throughout the year.

Residents' Rights Rally

As part of Resident's Rights Week, the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD), Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman, is sponsoring a residents' rights rally. 

During the rally, long-term care residents from across the state will gather to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the passage of federal legislation that recognized residents’ rights.

The rally will also provide the opportunity to recognize the contributions that many long-term care residents have made to better our community. This year's theme, “Advancing Excellence: A Resident’s Perspective on Quality” emphasizes the fundamental rights of all long-term care residents to be treated with dignity and respect and to have a say in decisions affecting their care. These rights include freedom of choice, the right to participate in community activities, and the right to have input in their daily schedule.

The rally will be held from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on Thursday, October 11, 2007 at the Dover Sheraton Hotel, 1570 North DuPont Highway, Dover, Delaware.

For more information, please contact the Office of the Long Term Care Ombudsman.