Dear LTCCC Members and Friends:

The Long Term Care Community Coalition has developed a toolkit for people to speak out to support safe staffing standards in nursing homes. The toolkit includes sample letters, brief reports addressing the need for staffing standards and overcoming the challenges, a petition form, and more resources.

PLEASE HELP USGET THE WORD OUT BY LETTING YOUR MEMBERS AND CONSTITUENTS KNOW ABOUT THIS TOOLKIT AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO SPEAK OUT! THE TOOLKIT CAN BE ACCESSED AT WWW.NURSINGHOME411.ORG.

In order to improve conditions for nursing home residents and staff we must improve staffing levels. Over 90% of nursing homes do not have sufficient staff to provide adequate care. This means that both residents and workers suffer. Congress is holding hearings now on nursing home quality. According to today's article in the NY Times article, "These are the first major hearings on nursing homes since the late 1980s; those led to the Nursing Home Reform Act of 1987." More hearings are expected in both the House and the Senate. Now is the time for us to make a difference!!

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Forward this message directly to your friends, colleagues, members of your organization, etc… and encourage them to speak out.
2. Use the toolkit to send a message or collect signatures on the petition.
3. Make copies of the attached poster and hang in your community - at the library; at your church, temple or mosque; etc…
4. If you have a newsletter put in a notice about the toolkit and the need for people to speak out.

Thank you. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.