Ombudsman

A Bill of Rights for Long-Term Care Residents

Amid acute staffing shortages made worse by Covid advocates for older adults say more needs to be done to protect the rights of residents in California’s long-term care facilities. Do residents of long-term care facilities have rights? The question gained new urgency for elder care advocates in the wake of the Covid pandemic, which led to prolonged quarantines and isolation for residents amidst soaring infection and fatality rates. Today, advocates worry residents’ basic rights — from proper health care to voting and even when and what to eat — are not being met amid acute staffing shortages. “Every individual has