November 28, 2023

In this Issue:

1. Today is GivingTuesday
2. Consumer Voice is Now Accepting Applications for Spring 2024 Interns
3. New Study on Residents’ Fear of Retaliation in Nursing Homes

Today is GivingTuesday

Today on GivingTuesday, people all around the world are coming together to tap into the power of human connection to strengthen communities and change our world. GivingTuesday was launched in 2012 as a simple idea: to create a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past eleven years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Consumer Voice is participating in GivingTuesday today, the global day of unity and giving. If you find the information and resources shared in The Voice useful, please consider supporting the publication by giving a donation.

As you know, for nearly 50 years, our organization has been working to engage and empower long-term care residents and their families in the pursuit of quality care and services, quality of life, and protection of rights.  Bringing the voice of the residents and family members to the policy and advocacy tables is powerful!

We can't do this without you! Not only do we need your support, we need your help to spread the word. Please tell your friends and family why you believe in our work and encourage them to support us too!

Consumer Voice is Now Accepting Applications for Spring 2024 Interns

Consumer Voice relies heavily on the time and expertise that interns provide, and we are currently accepting applications for the Spring 2024 semester. This is a dynamic and exciting internship opportunity where students will get hands on policy and advocacy experience with a well-established non-profit. Interns will advocate at the federal level on behalf of long-term care residents and will have the opportunity to make a real difference while learning the ins and outs of a fast-paced nonprofit organization.

This internship is a remote position and candidates must be enrolled in a graduate or law degree program and have exceptional writing and computer skills, research knowledge, and willingness to work on a wide range of projects. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a non-profit organization, engage in grassroots advocacy, and gain valuable member development and fundraising skills.

To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, two references, and a brief writing sample (no longer than 3 pages) to Katie O'Hearn at kohearn@theconsumervoice.org by December 15, 2023.

Learn more about the internship.

New Study on Residents’ Fear of Retaliation in Nursing Homes

A new study by Eilon Caspi was published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology on the phenomenon of residents’ fear of staff retaliation when voicing care concerns in nursing homes. This study aims to improve the understanding of residents’ lived experience of four aspects—fear of retaliation, allegations of threats of retaliation, perceived retaliation, and actual (confirmed) retaliation—and their emotional consequences. The findings could inform practice and policy changes necessary to realize residents’ federal right to speak up without fear of retaliation when advocating for dignified and safe care.

Read the abstract and learn more about the study.