Family Councils
What is a Family Council and why are they SO important?
Updated 5.30.26
A family council is an independent (self-led and self-determining) group of families and friends of nursing home residents. Together, family council members work to improve the quality of life of residents and gain improved communications between families and facilities. This is a positive path to first address concerns and complaints by families and facilities working together. A benefit for all!
You can think of a family council like the Parents' Association in your child's school. Concerned family members become involved to ensure that their loved one's needs are met. A united voice can accomplish what one voice cannot. Shared ideas can spark systemic change. There is strength in working together.
Every family council will have different goals, objectives, and activities. All work to increase support, education, communication, and action. Family Councils can provide additional goodies and fun events for the residents as well!
Download a copy of the family council toolkit
Support
Family councils provide an opportunity for family and friends of loved ones in nursing homes to come together in the new world of long-term care, in which they suddenly find themselves navigating. Family members can connect through shared goals, challenges, and the support of peers in similar situations. They can share ideas and knowledge, and even check on one another's relatives when they visit the nursing home. Most will likely stay on the Family Council as long as they have a loved one or friend at the facility; however, with new residents constantly coming in, there will always be families available to keep the council going. Can you imagine having a welcome committee to help you with basic information as you enter the new world of long-term care? Priceless.
Education
One of the most important tools to use in a family council toolbox is education. This empowers family caregivers to make the best decisions they can. There are no class on how to navigate in this arena once you get there. Education through the council can be shared about care plans, medication administration records (MARS), resident rights, policies of the facility, when and how to get medical records while in a facility, and so much more critical information that empowers and gives a better understanding of this new world.
Communication
Staff and family members assist residents under different approaches to care for the same resident - a professional approach from staff and a personal approach from family - and sometimes butt heads because of it. However, professional (nursing home staff) and volunteer (family and friends) caregivers share a common goal: quality care for residents. Family councils strive to align these two viewpoints to reinforce care capacity. The best care happens when family members and nursing home staff work together. Family councils do their part by communicating with staff about shared concerns and by proposing ways they can be part of the solution. We are all better working together.
Action
Perhaps most importantly, a family council acts on shared concerns. They give written concerns from the Council to the nursing home administration. This gives the families and facilities a chance to work together on positive solutions on any issue that arises. The goal is to find solutions at the facility level before having to make a official state complaint. The hope is to build better communications and solutions between the residents, families and facilities. Too many times, families feel they are looked at as troublemakers because they lack a way to address concerns and challenges in the best way. Family Councils gives a positive way!