History & Accomplishments
2023
Hired a new Executive Director, Kay Castillo.
FOR participated in the signing of Executive Order 280 to establish a Multi-Sector Plan on Aging. Past President Bill Lamb was appointed to the Steering Committee. Executive Director Kay Castillo and board members Steve Hahn and Chris Fink served on various subcommittees to develop the plan.
Advocated and achieved the personal needs allowance increase for nursing home residents. The North Carolina General Assembly made this a policy priority in their 2023 budget that was made law. An increase of $30 a month to $70 a month was implemented in January 2024.
Friends honored Representative Larry Potts, Long Term Care Ombudsman Hillary Kaylor, and Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center at our online Fall Gala.
2022
Successfully advocated for an increase in the Personal Needs Allowance for assisted living home residents from $46 a month to $70 a month.
Friends honored Representative Donny Lambeth, Pat Weaver, and Ames Alexander at our virtual Fall Gala.
2021
Friends continues to advocate for residents in facilities as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Friends honors Senator Joyce Krawiec, Springview Assisted Living, Trinity Grove, and Cindy Deporter at our virtual Fall Gala.
Received a NC CMP grant with NC State University entitled Promoting Resident Well-Being in NC Nursing Home Resident Councils. The multi-year grant allowed us to create a Resident Council Manual and training videos to enhance the operation of nursing home Resident Councils in North Carolina.
2020
FOR rebrands with a new logo!
Hired a new Executive Director, Lauren Zingraff
Successfully advocated for facilities to allow visitation after doors were closed to visitors and families due to COVID-19. See more about visitation here.
Moved the Annual Fall Gala Fundraiser online!
2019
Hosted Fall Fiesta for Quality Care at Cantina 18 in Raleigh with 75 participants and live music from Island Sound.
FOR honors Tommy Goldsmith and NC Health News with a media award; Representative Donna White as Legislator of the Year Award; and Denise Rogers with the Sharon Wilder Advocacy Award.
FOR honors Mitchell House in Spruce Pine with the Assisted Living Best Practice Award and Piedmont Crossing in Thomasville with the Nursing Home Best Practice Award.
Friends of Bill Lamb raises $10,000 for FOR.
2017
Friends is instrumental in getting HB248 enacted which brings North Carolina’s Community Advisory Committees into compliance with federal rules associated with volunteer ombudsmen programs.
Bill Lamb and Bob Konrad present findings drawn from the Borchard Foundation Grant at the annual meeting of the Southern Gerontological Society in Asheville.
Friends honors Rep Donna White, Carolina Public Press, Kathryn Lanier, United Church Homes and Services and Oak Hill Living Center at our fall event.
2016
Friends initiated a Lawyer Referral Services program to provide access to legal support in cases of severe neglect or exploitation of residents in long term care settings.
Victor Orija is granted the 2016 Sharon Wilder Advocacy Award
Bill Lamb assumes responsibility as our Executive Director.
2015
Friends of Residents is awarded a prestigious grant from the national Borchard Foundation's Center on Law and Aging to develop a model star-rating system for assisted living facilities. This important work draws on lessons from star-rating programs in child care settings and brings together input from consumers, academics, and other stakeholders to develop a system that can be used a model nationwide.
Friends of Residents receives a grant from AARP NC to develop a new, interactive workshop on Caregiver Communication.
2014
Friends of Residents expands its summer internship program to help mentor and encourage the next generation of advocates in the field of aging and disability services. The student interns from law and public health research topics ranging from Certificate of Need Laws to preventable injuries in skilled nursing facilities.
2013
Friends of Residents welcomes Gail Holden as the new Executive Director.
Sheyna Sears joins FORLTC to help older adults and their families navigate the long-term care system.
Friends establishes an online office, taking advantage of technology to save overhead expenses and have a more effective and dynamic statewide presence.
Friends develops and distributes the 2013 edition of the NC Long Term Care Consumer Guide as well as five new, consumer-oriented Fact Sheets.
Friends revises and distributes the 2013 edition of Creating a Family Council: A Group Bound for Success.
2012
Friends of Residents is awarded a grant from the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long Term Care to develop consumer training materials.
Friends of Residents establishes the Lamb Internship to support and mentor graduate students interested in the field of aging.
“The Best is Yet to Be”- a one-woman performance by actress Quinn Hawkesworth was recorded and is available on DVD.
2011
Friends of Residents influences changes surrounding SB33 Tort Reform to increase the maximum settlement amount from $250,000 to $500,000.
House Bill 474 increasing protection of adult care home residents though increased continuing education, evaluation requirements for medication aides, stronger infection control requirements, and annual inspections for compliance with safe infection control standards is passed.
Friends of residents works in the negotiations process to include a penalty option for A2 penalties in House Bill 397.
2010
Presentation before the Legislative Study Commission successfully requesting study of educational requirements of nurse aides.
2009
In collaboration with many other aging organizations, FORLTC convenes the 6th biennial Long-Term Care Policy Conference and Advocacy Day.
Friends of Residents continues working to prevent budget cuts to essential programs related to quality long-term care.
Friends rolls out new website that will vastly improve access to long-term care information and resources for the citizens of North Carolina.
2008
Friends of Residents wins AARP’s outstanding advocacy organization award.
Friends of Residents works to prevent dismantling of the newly created star rating system for adult care homes ensuring that consumers have access to vital information on the quality of adult care homes.
We responded to the recent closure of a substandard facility to raise public awareness of the conditions into which residents had hastily been discharged.
2007
The 5th Biennial LTC Policy Conference and Advocacy Day “Be There for Long Term Care” was held in April.
A hard fought victory was won when the Star Ratings System for Adult Care Homes was finally approved in the General Assembly. Friends was proud to have been an instrumental part of the passing of this legislation.
The first two NOVA (New Organizational Vision Award) organizations were selected as a result of the Better Jobs Better Care Program.
The 2007 Quest for Quality Awards Banquet was held at the NC State University Club.
2006
June Brotherton became Executive Director.
At the May 17 Quest for Quality Awards Banquet, FORLTC honored 11 individuals, facilities, and Community Advisory Committees chosen after a statewide nomination process for excellence in service and advocacy on behalf of residents in long term care.
Key funding items FORLTC had supported during the short session were enacted, providing for a significant expansion of the ombudsman program, increased funding for in-home aides, and many other services.
FORLTC expanded the use of its quarterly newsletter as an outreach tool by adding hundreds of potential members and courtesy recipients suggested by board members to the mailing list.
Public Policy Committee identified key issues for 2007-2008 pertaining to the Penalty Review Committee process, support for direct care workers including NC NOVA, mixed populations in long term care facilities, increasing the number of ombudsmen, increasing the personal needs allowance, and reducing institutional bias.
2005
FORLTC emphasized short and long term legislative goals, including comprehensive advocacy efforts pertaining to consumer choice/no institutional bias, enforcement/monitoring, staffing, and mixed populations in long term care facilities.
As a co-sponsor, FORLTC once more provided key leadership for the Long Term Care Policy Conference and Advocacy Day events held on April 18 and 19.
The FORLTC Education/Outreach Committee developed and piloted a course entitled Long Term Care 101 as well as continuing to offer IPM workshops around the state.
Legislators enacted several key measures supported by FORLTC, including adopting technical changes necessary to fully implement the law passed in 2004 regarding national criminal background checks, directing the development of a star-rating system for adult homes, and approving 200 more slots for the Special Assistance In-Home program. Members and supporters celebrated at a second Fall Fun Fling for Friends on November 4.
Creating a Family Council: A Group Bound for Success was published, and FORLTC began distributing copies both directly and through the ombudsman program.
2004
Key FORLTC priorities for the 2004 legislative session included national criminal record checks for all long term care workers, accountability by long term care facilities when residents are harmed by medical malpractice, and funding to increase choices available to frail elders and the disabled regarding the long term care they receive.
FORLTC began a three-year commitment to participate in the Better Jobs, Better Care Workgroup, which would ultimately produce the New Organizational Vision Award (NOVA) program for North Carolina.
In conjunction with the NCSU Cooperative Extension Service, the State Long Term Care Ombudsman, and the NC Pesticide Board, FORLTC sponsored a series of workshops concerning the use of integrated pest management (IPM) in long term care facilities.
Utilizing a grant from AARP, FORLTC presented voter education forums across the state.
The Fall Fun Fling for Friends brought members and supporters together on November 5 for an evening event featuring a silent auction in support of FORLTC.
2003
FORLTC instituted a Family Council Project, beginning the process that would result in the production of a Family Council Manual for statewide distribution.
On March 24 and 25, FORLTC again led the way in planning and carrying out Long Term Care Policy Conference and Advocacy Day events.
FORLTC celebrated 15 years of advocacy on April 25. The dinner event, held at the Sheraton Imperial in Research Triangle Park, featured a “Walk Down Memory Lane” and the presentation of Quest for Quality Awards to a direct care worker, two advocates, two facilities, and a family council.
Proposed cuts of funds for Adult Care Home Case Managers and Adult Home Specialists were defeated after FORLTC lobbied vigorously to preserve the positions.
2002
Convened our second and third “Conversation with Friends” to honor and thank direct care workers in Orange County, held at the Carol Woods Retirement Community. A similar event was held on November 19 at the Forest of Duke Retirement Community in Durham.
In partnership with AARP and the Ombudsman Programs, FORLTC presented consumer forums in Charlotte, Greensboro, Rocky Mount and Wilmington in May. The purpose of the forums was to come up with a consumer definition of quality and build a consumer base to work on realizing this vision.
FORLTC worked to prevent changes in the Medicaid asset transfer policy that would disqualify current nursing home residents.
Worked with many groups to prevent the elimination of the Adult Home Specialist fund for the NC budget.
2001
Co-sponsored the Mission Possible Conference, in Asheville, Winston-Salem, and Rocky Mount, where national speakers proposed a new philosophy of resident-centered care.
Co-sponsored the second biannual Long Term Care Advocacy Day at the NC General Assembly, giving over 300 people the chance to come to Raleigh for briefings on long term care issues and the opportunity to speak to their legislators.
Co-sponsored an Advocacy Skills Training day to offer education and training to long term care advocates. This event preceded our Long Term Care Advocacy Day at the NC General Assembly. Workshops included a variety of topics
Co-sponsored the Elderlaw and Advocacy Skills Training workshop, a two day event that provided information on guardianship issues and nursing home law. This event was sponsored by a grant from the AARP Foundation’s National Training Project.
Helped prevent a law from being passed that would have eliminated the requirement for a national criminal records check for employees in long term care facilities.
Facilitated introduction of legislation requiring long term care facilities to post staffing levels. This legislation passed and is currently in effect.
2000
Friends of Residents’ staff spoke to family councils, community advisory committees, and other groups about long term care issues.
Represented consumers’ interest as a member of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine Long Term Care Taskforce. This task-force was charged with the responsibility of establishing a state policy for long term care in North Carolina.
Friends of Residents was successful in getting legislation passed that (1) directs the State Auditor to study the cost reimbursement system used to reimburse adult care homes and to analyze financial information collected on adult care homes, and (2) requires nursing homes to make disclosures concerning policies and services offered to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia.
Sponsored the Conversation with Friends event to honor front line workers in long term care facilities for the important work they do. Local decision makers and front line workers discussed strategies for improving the job of the caregiver.
1999
Sponsored a forum featuring State Auditor Ralph Campbell, Jr., who reviewed his Performance Audit on Long Term Care Programs in North Carolina for legislators and state and county officials.
First Bi-annual Long Term Care Advocacy Day at the General Assembly, sponsored by Representative Beverly Earle. This was the first long term care event of this kind to be held at the NC General Assembly.
In cooperation with AARP, Friends of Residents published Making Informed Choices, a brochure to help older adults and family members make decisions about assisted living facilities in North Carolina.
Established a website containing information on penalties, special events, and long term care legislation.
Friends of Residents works with Ombudsman and others to assure passage of land mark legislation commonly referred to as Senate Bill 10, Long Term Care Safely Initiative.
1998
Worked with legislators, regional long term care ombudsmen, and other advocacy groups, resulting in legislation that changed the staffing ratio in adult care homes on the third shift (the first change in 30 years).
Assisted a reporter from the Triangle newspaper, The News and Observer, in obtaining information for a series of articles entitled, “A State of Neglect.” Following these articles, legislation was introduced proposing major reforms in adult care homes. Friends of Residents worked with legislators to assure the passage of this bill.
1997
Co-sponsored a workshop with the Triangle Area Agency on Aging for personal care aides and family members of long term care residents to promote understanding and cooperation between the two groups.
Worked with a reporter from The Independent (a weekly newspaper published in the Triangle area) on a three-part series that described problems encountered by residents and family members in adult care homes and the political aspects of these care problems. The series titled Gray Gold is responsible for bringing attention to long term care issues.
1996
The Executive Director of Friends of Residents co-chaired the Governor’s Ad Hoc Committee on Nursing Homes and Rest Homes, which was formed following the death of eight rest home residents in a fire.
Minority Report of the Ad Hoc Committee is delivered to Governor Hunt by Bette Ivester and Pam Southerland.
1995
Listed in the September, 1995 issue of Consumer Reports as a source of help for “families who may face problems finding a nursing home for an infirm loved one.”
Friends of Residents in involved in successful advocacy efforts to save the Ombudsman Program.
1994
The Executive Director of Friends of Residents began serving on the North Carolina Domiciliary Care Steering Team. After two years of meetings, some of the team’s recommendations were included in legislation that required staff training and audited cost reports for these homes.
1993
Friends of Residents works for passage of temporary management legislation.
Duke University Long Term Care Resources Program funds special projects.
1992
Marlene Chasson, Executive Director of Friends of Residents served on the state’s Rules Review Committee for Adult Care Homes and Family Care Homes. Working with other advocates, Friends of Residents was successful in initiating a state regulation for restraint use in these homes.
1990
First Resident’s Rights Celebration.
1989
Domiciliary Care Task Force Report.
1988
Friends of Residents’ office moved to Raleigh.
Linda Bedo became Executive Director.
1987
Office opens in Winston-Salem.
Penalty Review Committee established.
Legislation passed to strengthen penalty laws.
OBRA ’87 passes, Friends of Residents testifies on Capitol Hill.
Friends of Residents forms and facilitates the Long Term Care Coalition.
Vickie Turner became the first Executive Director.
Laurel Boyles became the first Board Chair.
1986
Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation awards start up grant.
1985
The Vision begins - Steering Committee formed.