Urgent Action Alert: 3/23/23

 

March 23, 2023 | by Amber Smock

Fight Retaliation in Illinois Nursing Homes

Quick action link: Send an email to your Illinois State Representative and State Senator.

It’s no secret that retaliation against residents happens in nursing homes. If a resident complains about what happens in a nursing home, or is perceived as getting out of line, nursing homes have a variety of ways to punish them. For example, they can restrict or take away privileges, treat you in a hostile manner, or neglect your care. Members of the Institutional Rescue and Recovery Coalition (IRRC) are leading a fight to better protect Illinois nursing home residents against retaliatory action. IRRC is made up of nursing home residents, survivors, and allies.

IRRC needs our help getting HB 3716 passed NOW

IRRC is working with state legislators to pass HB 3716 and its amendment, known as HCA 1.

HB 3716:

HB 3716 would set up a task force to create a five-year plan to move more people out of nursing facilities.

The nursing home industry is in agreement with this task force plan.

HCA 1:

HCA 1 would provide for stronger protection against nursing home retaliation.

The nursing home industry OPPOSES this amendment.

We need YOUR help to ensure that Illinois legislators support nursing home residents.

Please take action TODAY

HB 3716 and HCA 1 need to pass the Illinois House in the next 24 hours. If it does, it will go to the Illinois Senate, where there will be attempts to get rid of HCA 1, the anti-retaliation part. We need our Senators to know this is important to us! Please take action at the link now, where you can send an email to your Illinois State Representative and State Senator.


Access Living works to get people out of nursing homes every day. Although we appreciate the nursing facility staff that work with us to help people return to the community, we also hear about situations of retaliation, abuse or neglect. We know this is real. Access Living community members are also a part of IRRC, and we are a supporting organization. The voices and experiences of nursing home survivors matter.