Section 300.640 Residents' Advisory Council

Section 300

Section 300.640  Residents'

Advisory Council

a)

Each facility shall establish a residents' advisory council

consisting of at least five resident members.  If there are not five residents

capable of functioning on the residents' advisory council, as determined by the

Interdisciplinary Team, residents' representatives shall take the place of the

required number of residents.

The administrator shall designate another

member of the facility staff

other than the administrator

to coordinate

the establishment of, and render assistance to, the council.

(Section

2-203 of the Act)

b)         Each facility shall develop and implement a plan for assuring

a liaison with concerned individuals and groups in the local community.  Ways

in which this requirement can be met include, but are not limited to, the

following:

1)         the inclusion of community members such as volunteers, family

members, residents' friends, residents' advocates, or community

representatives, etc. on the council;

2)         the establishment of a separate community advisory group with

persons of the residents' choosing; or

3)         finding a church or civic group to "adopt" the

facility.

c)         The resident members shall be elected to the council by vote

of their fellow residents and the nonresident members shall be elected to the

council by vote of the resident members of the council.

d)         In facilities of 50 or fewer beds, the council may consist of

all of the residents of the facility, if the residents choose to operate this

way.

e)         All residents' advisory councils shall elect at least a

Chairperson or President and a Vice Chairperson or Vice President from among

the members of the council.  These persons shall preside at the meetings of the

council, assisted by the facility staff person designated by the administrator

to provide such assistance.

f)         Some facilities may wish to establish mini-residents' advisory

councils for various smaller units within the facility

a

Chairperson or President and a Vice Chairperson or Vice President from among

the members of the council.  These persons shall preside at the meetings of the

council, assisted by the facility staff person designated by the administrator

to provide such assistance.

f)         Some facilities may wish to establish mini-residents' advisory

councils for various smaller units within the facility.  If this is done, each

such unit shall be represented on an overall facility residents' advisory

council with the composition described in subsection (a) of this Section.

g)         All residents' advisory council meetings shall be open to

participation by all residents and by their representatives.

h)

No employee or affiliate of any facility shall be a member

of any council.

Such persons may attend to discuss interests or functions

of the non-members when invited by a majority of the officers of the council.

(Section 2-203(a) of the Act)

i)

The council shall meet at least once each month with the

staff coordinator who shall provide assistance to the council in preparing and

disseminating a report of each meeting to all residents, the administrator, and

the staff.

(Section 2-203(b) of the Act)

j)

Records of the council meetings shall be maintained in the

office of the administrator.

(Section 2-203(c) of the Act)

k)

The residents' advisory council may communicate to the

administrator the opinions and concerns of the residents.  The council shall

review procedures for implementing resident rights and facility

responsibilities and make recommendations for changes or additions which will

strengthen the facility's policies and procedures as they affect residents'

rights and facility responsibilities.

(Section 2-203(d) of the Act)

l)

The council shall be a forum for:

1)

Obtaining and disseminating information;

2)

Soliciting and adopting recommendations for facility programming

and improvements;

3)

Early identification of problems;

4)

Recommending orderly resolution of problems

l

strengthen the facility's policies and procedures as they affect residents'

rights and facility responsibilities.

(Section 2-203(d) of the Act)

l)

The council shall be a forum for:

1)

Obtaining and disseminating information;

2)

Soliciting and adopting recommendations for facility programming

and improvements;

3)

Early identification of problems;

4)

Recommending orderly resolution of problems

.  (Section

2-203(e) of the Act)

m)

The council may present complaints on behalf of a resident

to the Department, or to any other person it considers appropriate.

(Section 2-203(f) of the Act)

n)         Families

and friends of residents who live in the community retain the right to form

family councils.

1)         If

there is a family council in the facility, or if one is formed at the request

of family members or the ombudsman, a facility shall make information  about

the family council available to all current and prospective residents, their

families and their representatives.  The information shall be provided by the

family council, prospective members or the ombudsman.

2)         If a

family council is formed, facilities shall provide a place for the family

council to meet.