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Eliz Speidel, Director of Community Engagement for the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO), recently received the Howard Hinds Memorial Advocacy Award, which is presented annually by the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care.
Members of NJ Nursing Home Residents United, a group that works closely with Speidel, nominated her for the award. Two residents, Gail Smith and Ray DiFrancesco, were on hand Nov. 4 to present the award during the Consumer Voice’s annual conference in Arlington, Va.
The Howard Hinds Award was established in 2005 in memory of Howard Hinds, a Tennessee District Long-Term Care Ombudsman. Howard was a true champion for residents and for the ombudsman program as well as a passionate advocate on national issues. The award honors an individual who has effectively advocated for long-term care consumers on the local level.
In their nomination letter, residents referred to Speidel as a “great friend and mentor,” a “forward-thinking community organizer,” and a “force for change” in New Jersey nursing homes. The Community Engagement program, the letter noted, is a unique program that empowers residents and amplifies their voices.
Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, New Jersey’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman, said the award was well-deserved and all the more meaningful because the nomination came from the residents.
“The work that Eliz’s team does to empower residents is a large part of what makes us unique among state long-term care ombudsman offices,” Brewer said. “Residents have a front-row seat to everything that happens in nursing homes. They live through it all. It’s only natural that residents would be effective advocates for making nursing homes better places to live.”
The Residents United group works to build community with residents statewide and identify common concerns. Community Engagement works closely with Residents United, providing support and technical assistance.
Residents United members also lead efforts to support policies and legislation, notably a bill pending in the New Jersey State Legislature that would raise the personal needs allowance (PNA) from $50 to $140 a month.
The New Jersey residents’ advocacy was highlighted during a workshop at the Consumer Voice conference. Smith, DiFrancesco, and Speidel facilitated the discussion in person while four more residents — Louis Bonilla, James Cook, Tanette Clegg, and Chris Thomas — joined via internet connection from the LTCO office in Trenton.
About the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman
The Office of the New Jersey Long-Term Care Ombudsman is an independent state agency dedicated to the mission of advancing the rights, dignity, and self-determination of adults living in long-term care, including nursing homes, assisted living, and residential health care facilities. Learn more.
Official Site of The State of New Jersey