A note from the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman:
During the month of October, the
Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman (OSLTCO)
celebrated Residents' Rights Month, nationally recognized as a time to
pause and reflect on topics that promote the dignity, respect and the
value of every resident/tenant residing in long-term care.
In
the final installment of our special weekly newsletter, we’re highlighting a
couple ways Iowans have responded to the invitation to celebrate this month.
In furtherance of the occasion, Iowa Governor Terry
Branstad signed a proclamation to reaffirm that all Iowa
residents should be aware of their rights so they may be empowered to live with
dignity and self-determination, noting: “We wish to honor and celebrate these
Iowa citizens, to recognize their rich individuality, and reaffirm their right
to vote and participate politically, including the right to have a say in their
care.” The Governor also spoke to the
Older Iowans Legislature and noted his continued support for efforts to address
elder abuse and to
protect older Iowans who are the target of financial exploitation.
We’ve
also received tremendous feedback regarding the voting materials featured
earlier this month. In coming years, we hope to develop additional tools and
resources related to this fundamental right. As you look to the future, we want
to share a question posed by a facility in relation to their voting
programming.
A nursing facility’s activities
director called recently to let us know she used the new voter guide to organize
an absentee ballot effort. Staff collected resident preferences about how
each wanted to vote and then made arrangements with the county auditor for an
elections team to deliver ballots to residents on November 3. The activities director also called the
OSLTCO to ask, “Is our absentee ballot effort enough [to help residents
exercise their rights]?"
It was a great question, because there isn’t really a uniform answer to
that kind of question—which can make it tough for a facility to assist with
adequate supports and programming. In this instance, we decided that if every
resident wants to vote absentee at the facility for this election and that date
works for each resident to receive and mark his/her ballot, then it sounds like
this plan meets the needs and wishes as expressed by each resident for this
election. The goal of the voter assistance plan is simply to help all
parties take stock of preferences in advance to reduce the obstacles that can
arise when important decisions aren’t considered ahead of time.
The voter assistance plan can also be used after elections as a tool to help
facilities and residents evaluate the efficacy of their programming/efforts and
make any adjustments in time for the next election.
We welcome feedback on other ways we can
support your efforts to assist residents/tenants with voting.
While we cannot
advise facilities on how best to comply with state and federal voting laws or
evaluate their programming for any compliance or legal issues—that type of
question should be directed to the Secretary of State, county auditor or the
facility’s legal counsel—it’s our mission to provide person-centered advocacy tools and non-partisan
information about the process. We appreciate your efforts to promote residents’
rights year-round.
Deanna Clingan-Fischer, JD
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