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The checklist covers invitations, agendas, topic planning, announcements, meeting launch steps, governance, minute-taking, feedback pathways to leadership, improvement measures, and community connections to sustain council impact.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/forms/","Forms",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/resident-and-family-councils-checklist-establishing-and-renewing-councils/251917/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/resident-and-family-councils-checklist-establishing-and-renewing-councils/251917.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Dipper","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-23","2026-09-13",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",9,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is a resident and family council and who can participate?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"A resident or family council is a group that informs an organization’s policies and procedures for long-term care support services and housing. It may include residents only, residents and supportive staff, family members only, or a mix of residents and family members.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How should leadership and staff prepare before starting a council?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Leadership should sponsor the council, staff assigned to support it should be aware, and both staff and volunteers should review national CLAS standards to ensure inclusivity. Organizations should also designate meeting support and establish a charter, along with training for facilitating discussions.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What steps ensure the council is launched effectively and feedback reaches leadership?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"At the first or renewed meeting, establish council type and group rules, provide agendas and note-taking materials, and set a policy for how feedback will be brought to leadership and how leadership will communicate actions back to the council. Assign someone to take minutes and review them for accuracy before public sharing.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},251917,1791122199,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",{"doc_id":79,"user_id":84,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":85,"doc_module":22,"category_id":86,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":87,"file_id":88,"file_url":89,"file_type":90,"file_size":91,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":30,"language":92,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":93,"faqs":94,"seo_title":95,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":96,"read_time":22},1374404997633,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd",17,"Resident and Family Councils Checklist  \nUtilize this checklist when creating or renewing a resident and family council. This checklist helps staff understand what is needed to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all residents and their families. It can determine if the council can efficiently and effectively present suggestions that move to action. The checklist includes suggested action items so the organization may prepare to establish new councils or refresh an existing council.  \nDefinition of Resident and Family Councils  \nA resident or family council is a group of people with a common interest and purpose to inform the organization's policy and procedures that provide long-term care support services and housing. The council can be made up by just residents, residents and supportive staff, residents and family members, family members or a mix of residents and family. Family is defined as a supportive advocate that may or may not be related by blood, adoption or marriage. The council members may request help or meet without administrative staff to identify needs or requests that become action. Resident and family voices are central to driving quality and an inclusive community. Supportive advocacy for the residents and additional council support can be found by contacting your state Ombudsman. Find your representatives: National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center.  \nFoundation to Establish or Resume Resident and Family Councils  \n• Make Leadership aware of the council.  \n• Leadership sponsors the council.  \n• Review the national Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards to ensure the council is inclusive and supportive of each resident and staff of the organization. Leadership, staff assigned to support the council and any volunteers that support council should also review the national CLAS standards.  \n• Establish a Charter (bylaws are not required but are welcomed) . The Resident Council Tool Kit for Resident Council Members from the Illinois Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program can help.  \n• Train staff and volunteers to support meeting needs by using the national CLAS standards to support facilitating discussions to motivate and encourage council participants to provide input and bring common ground when there are differences of opinion.  \no Additional resource: page 10 of “Turning Complaints into Compliments” by the National Center for Assisted Living.  \n• Designate a meeting room that meets privacy, accessibility, comfort, capacity and safety needs.  \n• Identify a business staff support person to assist with things like printing materials, creating and distributing notices and meeting minutes, etc. This can also be a volunteer or staff member.  \n• Develop a procedure for staff to assist residents to and at meetings.  \n• With staff and Leadership, and resident and family input, find possible days and times of the week to hold council meetings. Present the options to residents and families. Ensure these dates and times meets everyone’s needs.  \n• Inform all staff of the definition of a resident and family council. Explain their roles and the council’s privacy policy.  \nMeeting Preparation for Resident and Family Councils  \n• Develop invitations and notice templates. Minnesota’s Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care has created sample invitations and notices that you can use.  \n• Pick a template for meeting agendas. Minnesota’s Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care has created agenda templates that you can use.  \n• Meet individually with residents and or families to determine areas of interest and develop an understanding of their value systems and cultures.  \n• Create a schedule of topics by reviewing those shared in this training. By doing this you will draw people into the council, offer educational opportunities and create an environment for residentcentered quality improvement. Collect stories and ideas from residents, families, advocates, staff and the community.  \n• Po","cbCaisXm6WIKW9zM","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaisXm6WIKW9zM","pdf",760309,"English","# Resident and Family Councils Checklist\n## Definition of Resident and Family Councils\n## Foundation to Establish or Resume Resident and Family Councils\n## Meeting Preparation for Resident and Family Councils\n## Launch Resident and Family Council\n## Sustaining and Getting Feedback from Resident and Family Councils","[{\"question\":\"What is a resident and family council and who can participate?\",\"answer\":\"A resident or family council is a group that informs an organization’s policies and procedures for long-term care support services and housing. It may include residents only, residents and supportive staff, family members only, or a mix of residents and family members.\"},{\"question\":\"How should leadership and staff prepare before starting a council?\",\"answer\":\"Leadership should sponsor the council, staff assigned to support it should be aware, and both staff and volunteers should review national CLAS standards to ensure inclusivity. Organizations should also designate meeting support and establish a charter, along with training for facilitating discussions.\"},{\"question\":\"What steps ensure the council is launched effectively and feedback reaches leadership?\",\"answer\":\"At the first or renewed meeting, establish council type and group rules, provide agendas and note-taking materials, and set a policy for how feedback will be brought to leadership and how leadership will communicate actions back to the council. 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