THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, JUNE 17, 2010

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JUNE 17, 2010  

A RESOLUTION

Congratulating graduates of the Pennsylvania Empowered Expert

Residents Program and recognizing June 9, 2010, as

"Pennsylvania Empowered Expert Residents Day" in

Pennsylvania.

WHEREAS, The Department of Aging administers the Long-Term

Care Ombudsman Program Statewide for consumers 60 years of age

or older and the department partners with the 52 local Area

Agencies on Aging in this Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, The ombudsman program supports and empowers

consumers to resolve individual complaints involving long-term

care services and also works to improve and enhance the long-

term care system, its laws, regulations, policies and

administration through public education and empowerment; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is the first State nationwide to

creatively include a resident dimension within its ombudsman

program to support all individuals living in long-term care

facilities and to educate residents and staff on resident rights

in the 150 facilities across this Commonwealth where they

reside; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Empowered Expert Residents (PEER)

Program offers an additional mechanism to equip residents with

the knowledge to enable them to be a part of the solution; and

WHEREAS, The PEER Program was developed to train resident

advocates to work from within the respective long-term care

facilities where they reside to enhance the quality of care and

quality of life; and

WHEREAS, PEER Program graduates volunteer their time and

expertise to self-advocate issues that resonate among their

peers; and

WHEREAS, The PEER Program, working with and supporting local

ombudsman programs in counties throughout this Commonwealth, has

grown since its inception in June 2002; and

WHEREAS, The PEER Program has graduated more than 1,100

residents in long-term care facilities in the following 50

counties:  Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Blair,

Bradford, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion,

Clearfield, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Delaware, Elk, Erie,

Fayette, Forrest, Franklin, Greene, Jefferson, Juniata,

Lackawanna, Lawrence, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean,

Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland,

Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Union,

Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and York; and

WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Ombudsman program

recognizes the PEER Program graduates as certified volunteer

ombudsmen and congratulates all participants for promoting and

educating advocacy among residents of long-term care facilities

in this Commonwealth; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives congratulate

graduates of the Pennsylvania Empowered Expert Residents Program

and recognizing June 9, 2010, as "Pennsylvania Empowered Expert

Residents Day" in Pennsylvania.