CINCINNATI, Ohio — The Ohio Governor’s Nursing Home Quality and Accountability Task Force visited the University of Cincinnati today to hear directly from community members about the quality of nursing homes in southwest Ohio.
The task force hosted morning and afternoon listening sessions, gathering input from a total of over 130 guests, including residents of local nursing homes, their family members and friends, industry employees, and other interested community members.
“I thank all of you for being here today. You are volunteering your time, energy, and effort to a cause that we all know is of paramount importance to tens of thousands of Ohioans: the quality of care and quality of life being provided in our state’s nursing homes,” said Ursel J. McElroy, Task Force Chair and Director of the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA). “We appreciate you joining us to take part in this conversation and – perhaps even more importantly – to help drive solutions.”
Several people who spoke at the event offered emotional personal stories about their own experience or a loved one’s experience living in a nursing home – highlighting specific issues they faced like difficulty determining facility quality, lack of communication, instances of resident neglect, and more.
Following these group conversations, ODA staff facilitated breakout discussions with those in attendance to gather information on opportunities for solutions. Some ideas included having people or resources devoted to inspecting facilities more regularly, opening more lines of communication between staff and residents’ family members, and strengthening bonds between staff and residents, among others.
The task force was established by Governor Mike DeWine to allow State officials and industry experts to take action on opportunities to improve quality of life and quality of care in Ohio’s nursing homes. The in-person listening sessions provide opportunities for task force members to hear directly from nursing home residents and their loved ones about their experiences.
The task force hosted its first listening session in Youngstown last week.
Listening sessions will be held over the coming weeks in the following communities:
- Dayton (March 21)
- Columbus (March 24)
- Bowling Green (March 28)
- Nelsonville (April 6)
- Cleveland (April 13)
Click here to register for a listening session near you!
In addition to listening sessions, the task force will host regular meetings through May to discuss public input and formulate recommendations.
The task force will also offer virtual listening sessions and an online survey for people who cannot attend an in-person event, but still want to share their experiences. For more information, visit: aging.ohio.go/NHtaskforce.
The task force will provide an actionable report of recommendations to Governor DeWine’s office before the end of May.
Oh The stories I could tell,I’ve not only worked in them ,I was in one last year !!! NEVER AGAIN