Using Digital Skills for Advocacy With State Legislators

Last week Kaiser Health News ran a story about elders in SNFs using their digital skills tor each out to their legislators, Zooming Into the Statehouse: Nursing Home Residents Use New Digital Skills to Push for Changes.

Nursing home residents who have been using digital technology to reach out to family and friends — after the covid pandemic led officials to end visitation last year — could also use it to connect with elected officials once the legislature moved to remote hearings…. 

The combination of a virtual legislature and nursing home residents equipped with internet access has created an opportunity most nursing home residents rarely have — to participate in their government up close and in real time.

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So far this year, nursing home residents have testified in support of legislation to improve staffing levels, create a designated “essential support person” with special visitation privileges, and allow “technology of their choice” in their rooms to communicate with whomever they wish, among other proposals. The latter passed unanimously in both chambers, said [Connecticut AARP’s advocacy director] “and we expect the governor to sign it into law.” 

One legislator has introduced a bill to permanently allow virtual advocacy there.