On Friday, four long-term care residents received certificates for completing Pennsylvania’s Empowered Expert Residents (PEER) program. The program is designed to empower nursing home residents to speak out about quality-of-life issues.
According to an article on TheTimes-Tribune.com, the training is led by the non-profit group Serviing Seniors Inc., of Lackawanna County. It includes five sessions that stress themes of self-resolution and consumer empowerment. The goal for the program is to have more people feel comfortable enough to speak up about anything that may affect their day-to-day lives.
Serving Seniors has trained 180 people in the PEER program since 2002. Linda Korgeski, ombudsman for the organization, is quoted in the article as saying, “We never want residents accepting the unacceptable.”
We applaud the courage of these four residents for stepping forward to ensure that they, along with the fellow residents in the nursing homes where they live, receive the respect and quality of care they deserve.