✨✨General Discussions

How to find an advocate to help: Here are a few more resources for finding advocacy in your area.

1) Association for Conflict Resolution To find trained mediators, families can consult the Association for Conflict Resolution

2) Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM) Academy of Professional Family Mediators

Lots of good articles on this site.

3) Mediate.com They do what they call "everything mediation." mediate.com,

Maura Conry

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Monitor

Hello Leslie,

Does this make sense? Sounds like there are some long-standing out of sight issues going on. Openness and transparency are the first steps to conflict resolution. Without that problems go underground and can fester for a long time. I have a number of ideas and resources that may be helpful. You don't mention if your residents are organized in any way such as a resident's council. Here are some resources that can help in a number of different ways.

1) States have Area Agency on Aging (AAA) FREE consults/services.

These agencies are tasked with maintaining the health and safety of their senior population. They are staffed with well trained and well experienced professionals from different backgrounds. Their services are totally confidential and they have safeguards in place to insure that. I would start with them, they do this all the time and have heard everything. Give them a call and/or set up an appointment as desired.

2) The Aging Life Care Association (ALCA). This organization has a search engine to help you find an Aging Life Care

Expert in your area. Their website includes other resources.

https://www.aginglifecare.org/ALCAWEB/Shared_Content/ALCA_Directory/2017BU/ALCA_Find_an_Expert.aspx?hkey=6c3ced7c-b5f0-4d27-9d30-37734ab6cf49

3) National Association of Senior Advocates: https://naosa.org/

4) Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) CANADIAN site: This site has a lot of great tutorials on resident's rights, how to start residents councils, how to advocate for yourself, etc. https://www.rhra.ca/en 

5) Try searching advocates for seniors to see what comes up in your state. Here is the link for a site in Kansas to give you an idea of what might be available. It also has great newsletters and resources to look at. https://advocates4seniors.com 

This should get you on the path. The Area Agency Aging is the best place to start. They are free, with licensed professionals who are experienced who know the ins and outs of what's going on in your state. Generally, having a professional advocate on board speeds up the process and adds clarity and efficiency toward resolution.

Remember with your contract, initial down payment, and hefty monthly fees, you deserve to be treated with the dignity and respect of what that contract represents. And you deserve to get the type of services that were marketed to you in the first place which surely included a concerned, engaged management that listens to their residents.

Maura Conry

NaCCRA Board of Directors

Forum Monitor

Leslie,

That's certainly a sign that there is a history of tensions. There is work to be done in several areas, and you may need professional help. First, I'd ask, "Are you a community?" meaning do residents have a sense of belonging and sharing values and a common bond. Try and identify a few like-minded people who are leaders and/or influencers and work understand the reasons for the tension and the apprehension of the board members. To help with this, seek out a social worker who specializes in eldercare. Your ad-hoc group could have a consultation about engaging that person to facilitate improving the relationship with board members.

There may be agencies that could offer such professional help or refer you to those who can. I'll ask one of my colleagues to join this conversation with suggestions.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member

Forum Moderator

Sounds like there is a bigger problem than being "yelled at"

especially if facility managers won't meet with residents.

Our facility managers will meet with residents even when they know they are going to get very negative messages from the residents. Not meeting signals something serious needs to be kept from the residents. Start with what management are telling your finance committee (if you have one) or if you are in a state that requires annual financial disclosure get the most recent one. And request a copy of their last IRS 990 which they have to give you to maintain their nfp status

At a nonprofit CCRC we are being told the board won't meet with residents because they are afraid of being yelled at. And then some managers refused to meet because of the same reason. No one has any memory of any yelling at anyone having taken place.

Any tips?